Second Try
by SoulMalady
Summary: Amnesiac Harry tries to adjust to life in Forks with minor mishaps and major misunderstandings happening along the way. Danger is lurking just around the corner, but he has brand new allies now.
1. Chapter 1

He woke up shrieking fearfully.

He clawed at his hospital gown as though it were a vile thing. His face was twisted into a mask of agony and his screams matched this expression. His eyes remained shut. They were squeezed shut for fear of what they might see.

Nurses were by his bedside in a matter of seconds, trying to hold him down. It was to no avail. He was stronger that he looked, adrenaline causing him to use every ounce of his power to fight off anyone who approached him. He had to keep fighting, because if he stopped, then… He didn't want to think about it. He couldn't.

Abruptly, the warm touches were replaced with cold ones. He shrieked anew at the alien and firm hands that were pressing him against the bed. He struck forward with his fists, then recoiled when a jolt of pain ran down his arms. He felt as though he had just rammed his wrists into a wall.

"There is no need to panic."

He cradled his hands against his chest and attempted to kick his way free.

"It's just a bad dream."

He shook his head vehemently, his screams turning from rage to helplessness. He couldn't move anymore. So very tired and afraid.

"You're safe here."

He turned his head towards the voice, trying to explain that it wasn't safe yet. All he could voice was an incoherent plea, a half-whine.

"Could you open your eyes for me?"

He felt his lids pulling apart on their own accord despite his attempts to keep them shut. He couldn't see anything in any case. Everything was a vivid shade of red.

"That's better. What's your name?"

He was still now, his screams having lost all strength and turning into sobs. "H-Harry," he answered in a hoarse whisper.

"Harry. I'm Dr. Cullen. You've been in a coma for five weeks now. You are safe here. Do you understand?"

"Hmm," Harry murmured before fainting away.

* * *

When he awoke again, everything was so much… clearer. Clearer in his head, at least. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times before frowning. He couldn't see anything but blurry shapes.

"Something the matter?"

He turned towards the soft question, seeing a vague white figure standing at the foot of his bed. "Huh?" he croaked.

"Why are you doing that with your eyes?" Dr. Cullen asked curiously.

"I… I can't see," Harry murmured, holding his hand out in front of him. He could see _that_ quite clearly. And when Carlisle came to halt by the head of the bed, Harry could see his slightly less blurry face. "Um…"

"Do you wear glasses, Harry?" Carlisle asked, bending down and pulling down the skin under his patient's eye.

"I… Y-yes."

"Hmm," Carlisle murmured in thought. "That's quite alright. I'll talk to the optometrist about an appointment for you. Now, how do you feel?"

"Fine," Harry answered hesitantly.

"Then perhaps you can tell me what happened?" Carlisle asked with a hopeful nod.

Harry blinked in confusion. "What happened?" he asked.

"What happened?"

He kept his wide eyes on the blurry image of his doctor. "What happened?" he echoed weakly.

Worry lines appeared on Carlisle's otherwise smooth face. "I'm sorry," he said, sitting down beside his patient. "Can you tell me where you live, Harry?"

"Live?" Harry seemed lost in thought. "Here?" he said uncertainly.

"Here. Where's here?" Carlisle inquired.

"I… um…" Harry stammered. "Here…"

"Here? in Forks?"

"Yes."

"With whom?"

"With… with no one. By myself. In Forks. I live here."

"Okay, okay. That's good… Thank you, Harry."

"You're welcome."

* * *

The following day, Harry was put through a multitude of diagnostic tests to check for brain damage. It was exhausting and Harry was quiet as a mouse through it all, appearing much too young and utterly lost amidst the medical equipment. He never spoke to anyone unless he was asked a direct question. He kept his eyes on his hands. He couldn't see, so he figured there really was no point in looking at people.

After an entire day of drawing blood, scans, long wait times, and questions, Harry was back in his room. It wasn't long before his doctor walked in. He realized embarrassingly enough that he didn't remember the doctor's name. He wasn't about to ask. He merely sat there placidly while Carlisle took his temperature and checked his pulse.

Then he sat down beside Harry again, like the day before.

"It appears you are suffering from amnesia, Harry. There is heavy bruising in your brain, but it seems to be quite an old concussion. Do you know what that means?" Carlisle asked.

"Mhm," Harry nodded dolefully.

"And we can find no record of you anywhere. No fingerprints or missing persons reports," Carlisle added. "Now I want you to think _really_ hard for me and tell me the first memory in your mind, alright?"

"Okay," Harry mumbled, twisting his fingers nervously. He closed his eyes, hoping that his concentration would increase from the deprivation of one of his senses. But he had no idea what to do. First memory? What did that even mean? But he wanted to try for the doctor, so he sat there with an intense look of concentration on his face. He counted to ten before opening his eyes slowly and hazarding a look Dr. Cullen. He hated seeing that blurry and hopeful expression. "I'm sorry," he said, pulling his gaze back down.

"It's alright," Carlisle reassured him soothingly. "You're alright. You don't have to worry about anything, okay? We'll find your parents and you'll be home in no time."

* * *

Then came the police interviews. Harry was propped up in bed early in the morning and made to wait for the Chief of Police to show up. He didn't really know why, but who was he to argue?

Charlie Swan walked in with Dr. Cullen, chatting about news Harry wasn't aware of and had no interest in. He waited patiently for them to stop speaking and look at him.

"And _this_ is Harry," Carlisle introduced while gesturing towards his patient. "Harry, this is our Chief of Police, Charlie Swan."

Harry mumbled out a greeting as Carlisle pulled up a stool for Charlie to sit on. "Hello, Harry," Charlie smiled warmly. "This is just a routine interview. It's quite alright if you aren't able to answer these questions."

"Okay," Harry said quietly.

"I'll be right here," Carlisle said in assurance.

Charlie flipped open his notepad and poised his pen against the paper. "Do you remember your last name, Harry?" he asked.

"No," Harry answered.

"When were you born?"

Harry flicked his eyes at Carlisle for a second before looking down at his hands again. He shrugged.

"Then do you know how old you are?" Charlie asked.

Harry shook his head again.

"You remember waking up in the hospital, don't you?" Charlie then inquired.

"Mhm."

"Do you remember before that? When you were brought to the hospital in Mr. Plum's car?"

"No."

"How about the park? That's where you were found," Charlie urged.

"I-I'm sorry."

"Can you tell me your parents' names, then?"

"I don't… have parents," Harry whispered, his voice breaking.

"Pardon?"

Harry tried to clear his throat but it didn't work. "I… I don't have…" he trailed off, wrapping his arms around his stomach. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Harry." Charlie was quick to comfort. "That's fine. Then do you remember where you live?"

"Here," Harry insisted. "I live in Forks." He was adamant about this.

"And what's the address to your-"

"I can't do this," Harry interrupted without warning, pressing his hands to eyes. "Please, I'm sorry. I don't know anything."

"Maybe that's enough, Charlie," Carlisle interrupted, motioning for the officer to move away from the emotional boy. "Let's talk outside, shall we?"

"Yes," Charlie said, eyeing Harry worriedly for a moment before following Carlisle out.

Harry slid under the covers and pulled it over his head to hide.

After lunch, he was whisked away to the optometrist. He was made to sit in the large chair by the grandmotherly lady with a cheery smile. He looked at the black machine with its numerous dials. He was feeling a bit distrustful of that monstrous thing. He leaned against the back of the chair as the instrument was brought towards his face. But he couldn't run away from what he foresaw as impending doom.

"Now tell me which one is clearer for you, sweetie. One or two?"

Harry gasped when the letters projected onto the wall grew sharper in front of his eyes. Like magic. "Oh my goodness," he breathed, reaching forward and trying to grab the E out of thin air.

Carlisle watched on with amusement.

"Yes, isn't it marvelous?" the optometrist asked, thrilled by Harry's incredulity. "Shall we try one eye at a time as well?"

"Mhm," Harry said eagerly, sitting up close to the spectacular machine that was making his vision as clear as ever.

Elizabeth placed the lens cover off of the left side and dropped in an arbitrary lens on the right side. "See that?"

Harry blinked, seeing the world for the first time. He drank in the words, clutching his hands to his chest as his heart pounded without reprieve. "Mhm," he nodded, his breath shaky.

"Good, dear," Elizabeth laughed. "Now let's start, shall we? One or two? Which is clearer?"

"I-I don't know. Both… both of them are amazing," Harry said in awe. "Amazing."

Elizabeth quirked her brow and looked at Carlisle. He merely shrugged with a helpless smile.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry was told that his glasses would arrive in two days. He clutched Elizabeth's hands and thanked her earnestly. "I'm just doing my job, Harry," she smiled, giving him a warm hug.

On the way back to the hospital, Carlisle couldn't keep mum any longer. "You don't remember wearing glasses?" he asked suddenly, jolting Harry out of his reverie. This was all so utterly perplexing. "You looked so surprised. I was just wondering."

"Oh," Harry mumbled as he slouched. "I... I don't know."

* * *

"From his dental check-up, Harry's in his late teens," Carlisle informed Charlie.

"So, what do you propose we do with him?"

"Keep him here, of course," the doctor exclaimed. "He's definitely not stable enough to be discharged. And without his memories, who knows what could happen to him if he was left alone right now."

"But for how long?" Charlie argued. "We need to make arrangements. We can't have him take up a hospital bed for an extended period of time. And we aren't equipped for long-term care of a boy we don't even have funds for."

"I am not letting him leave," Carlisle said firmly.

* * *

Harry handled his new glasses reverentially, holding the delicate stems with care and admiring them from afar.

"Wear them," Carlisle urged while trying to keep his excitement down.

"Okay," Harry said. He put on the frameless spectacles that sat snug against his nose. He waited for his eyes to adjust, feeling vertigo as his vision swam. He blinked rapidly to bring everything into focus before looking up at Carlisle. "Hello."

"Hello," Carlisle murmured.

"I can see now," Harry announced.

"I am very glad for that."

"You look nice."

"Oh?" Carlisle laughed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Harry said solemnly as he roved his eyes over the room.

* * *

Harry was absorbed in the book as he paced the length of his room. He would increase his pace as the suspense built up and them stop completely when the climactic part made him read in wonder. Then he would slowly start walking again as the shock wore off and the story moved onto more mundane scenes.

Carlisle had been watching for a long while through the small window on the door. Harry hadn't stopped reading since he had gotten his glasses. His brain seemed to be starved for knowledge. He was going to fill it up with crime novels and detective fiction in a blink of an eye. Perhaps it was time for more substantial education.


	2. Chapter 2

"There is this boy at my hospital," Carlisle said distantly, not quite looking at Esme because his thoughts were taking him elsewhere. "He doesn't know who he is or where he's from. He just… he's just _here_, that's all."

"Really?"

"He doesn't have any visitors…"

Esme smiled knowingly. "Would you like me to visit him?" she asked.

"I need to understand how he interacts with people," Carlisle tried to explain. "He is much too quiet for his own good the way he is at the moment."

"You know I won't say no, right?"

* * *

"That's my wife, Esme," Carlisle said to Harry who was blushing himself ruddy at having such a beautiful visitor. "She wanted to meet you."

"Oh."

Carlisle motioned for Esme to approach the bed while he got up. Switching spots, the doctor stood by the door to watch.

"Hello. I'm Esme Cullen," Esme said in a kind voice.

"I'm Harry."

"How are you doing today?"

"I'm fine," Harry mumbled. Esme was too angelic to be true and he just had to avert his eyes.

"How is Carlisle treating you?" she asked with a sly smile. "Is he as nice as he pretends to be at home?"

"Yes," Harry said bashfully.

"That's wonderful. And what is this that you're reading?" she asked, picking up a book from the pile on the bedside table. "Ah… Detective fiction."

"Yes," he said with a fervent nod. "Do you read them?"

"Of course," she answered. "Too many to count, in fact. Shall I bring you some tomorrow?"

* * *

"These are aptitude tests. We just want to see what level of schooling you have received," Carlisle said, holding up the pieces of paper. "You have three hours to complete them. And don't worry if you are unable to recount any answers. That is common with amnesiacs."

"Okay," Harry nodded while following the dreaded exams with his eyes as it transferred from Carlisle's hands to the tabletop.

"You may start now."

Three hours later, Carlisle was reading the answers with growing confusion and dismay.

While there were many missing solutions to problems, the answers Harry _had_ written were troubling. There were mixtures of Latin and Greek terms riddled throughout the papers, as well as strange runes that Carlisle was not aware of. When he asked Harry about them, he either seemed confused and staggered. From those responses, Carlisle gathered that Harry hadn't been entirely coherent when he had answered those questions.

"How did I do?" Harry asked.

"Well, if I could discern your writing, I would be able to tell you," Carlisle teased lightly.

Harry was put off by that comment. "I know," he conceded. "I have very poor writing. I'm not used to writing with a pencil."

Carlisle frowned. "Oh? What do you want to write with?"

Harry blinked.

"Right." Carlisle was starting to understand that, while Harry couldn't answer most of his questions directly, his subconscious was trying to make his thoughts heard, one way or another. He just had to figure out the right questions to ask and then ask them at the right moment. "Well, maybe you'd be able to communicate better if I get you a laptop, hmm?"

"Um… okay," Harry murmured.

That night, Esme approached Carlisle when he was in his study. She was carrying an armful of paperbacks. She placed them neatly on his desk. "For Harry," she said.

Carlisle smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you, dear."

"How is he doing?"

He looked down at the notes he had been working on, thinking for a moment before making up his mind. He showed the test papers to his wife. "I gave this to him today. This is what he wrote. Can you make sense of it?" he asked.

She scanned the writing rapidly, her expression betraying her bewilderment. "How strange…"

"That is what I thought," Carlisle sighed. "He seems to have almost no grasp on mathematics. His reading comprehension is on par with the norm. And did you see his science? I cannot understand it."

"Primitive."

Carlisle nodded eagerly. "That's it!" he exclaimed. "Primitive! That's what he is."

"But he isn't," Esme added. "That's what makes it so strange. He is not backward. He is socially adept. Scholastically, he seems to be behind, however."

"His brain damage must be more severe than I had previously thought," Carlisle muttered as despair darkened his thoughts.

"Perhaps you should sit down with him and go over each subject. It will give you a better idea as to his level of understanding," Esme advised.

"Yes. I will do that."

* * *

Harry was overwhelmed by the books that were laid out in front of him. He was seated behind a desk and Carlisle was standing behind him, telling him to open the first textbook.

"Do you remember studying biology, Harry?" the doctor asked.

Harry opened the book, flicking his eyes over the pictures and words. It all looked like gibberish to him. "I don't know."

Carlisle reached over Harry's head and flipped through the pages, stopping when he found what he was looking for. "If I showed you this, could you make sense of it?" he asked. The picture was a diagram of a cross-section of a flower and all the internal parts were labeled.

Harry reached out and traced the petals with his finger absently. "It looks familiar," he hesitated. "Hellebore. Black hellebore."

"Pardon me?"

"There's a flower," Harry explained. "Black hellebore. It is used to make poisons. Insanity. Paralysis."

Carlisle was dumbfounded.

"That's so morbid," Harry went on to say with a nervous laugh. "Um… I know another plant. Asphodel."

"And… what do you know of it?"

Harry nudged the large book then turned the page. Carlisle realized that the boy was stalling. He gave Harry some time. Harry had turned five pages before pausing. "Afterlife," he said quietly. "Living dead."

Carlisle stayed moot. He couldn't be sure until he checked his fact, but the things Harry said sounded eerily familiar and ancient. The boy was speaking of witchcraft.

Harry suddenly groaned. "I sound crazy," he realized in dismay. He looked up at Carlisle. "Can we pretend like I never said that?"

"Then let's move onto another subject, shall we?" Carlisle said with a comforting smile. He gestured at the plethora of texts sitting on the desk. "Your pick this time."

Harry looked over the books with mounting apprehension. His hand darted forward and grabbed an astronomy book. "I know this," he said. "I remember learning this. Stars." He opened the book eagerly. "I know these names. Aries, Lupus, Lyra, Canis Major. I know these."

Carlisle was glad to see Harry become animated. "And planets? Do you know them all?"

"Yes, of course," Harry answered. "Planets and moons. Venus, Jupiter. I know them." He looked at his doctor with a hopeful smile. "Is that good? Isn't that great? I remember this."

"It's wonderful," Carlisle chuckled. "I'm glad, Harry."

Harry turned to the book again, drinking in all the charts and images. "I know these," he murmured to himself. His eyes lingered on Canis Major.

Suddenly, his vision was swimming from tears.

Carlisle staggered back when Harry shot up to his feet abruptly and nearly ran into him. Carlisle hastened to catch him before his knees gave way. "What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong."

"I have to go home," Harry gasped. "I need to go home."

"Sh. You're okay. It's okay," Carlisle whispered gently. He held Harry close, attempting to comfort his panicked patient. "We'll get you home as soon as we can. First we need to find your home, right?"

"Sirius. He's hurt. I-I need to go. I have to go."

Carlisle kept speaking calm words to Harry. He had managed to trigger something, but he needed Harry to stay calm before he could do anything about it. It took Harry several minutes to stop shaking. Then he leaned heavily into Carlisle's shoulder, drained from his panic attack and disorientation. Once the doctor was sure that his patient was somewhat level-headed, he asked, "Who is hurt, Harry? Why do you need to go home?" He had heard Harry mention something about Sirius. Sirius was the brightest star of the Canis Major. It was the dog star. But Harry had spoken of Sirius as though he were speaking of a person. "Did you know someone named Sirius?"

"Where's your heart?"

Carlisle froze.

Harry slid his hand down to rest on Carlisle's ribs. He felt nothing but stillness. No thumping or moving. "I can't find it," he mumbled in confusion. He turned his head to side and pressed his ear against Carlisle's chest. "Don't you have one? I can't hear anything."

Carlisle was at a loss for words. This was the closest he had come to another human being. Usually people kept him at an arm's length, understandably so due to his outward appearance. But Harry wasn't usual people. The boy knew nothing at all.

He pushed Harry back and then stepped away quickly.

Harry realized that he had done something wrong. His hands clasped together in front of him and he appeared dazed.

"I-It's… nothing," Carlisle answered distantly. "Take a look at the other books. I… I need to go now, Harry." He left the room without waiting for a response.

When he spoke with Esme that evening, she seemed immensely concerned. "What did you say to him?" she worried.

"I didn't know _what_ to say," Carlisle confessed. "I didn't say anything. I didn't want to make matters worse."

"He wasn't scared?"

Carlisle shook his head. "Curious. Not scared."

Esme breathed out slowly. "Alright, then maybe it is fine. Maybe he won't say anything."

"Maybe?"

"Maybe."

Carlisle was preoccupied for the rest of the night. He shut himself off in his study and poured over his books, trying to make sense of the puzzle his patient had provided him with. Harry seemed to have an understanding in stars and plants, both rooted deeply in myths and medieval times. There were many mentions of hellebore and asphodel in potion making and witchcraft. Star charts dated back to the 2nd century. Esme had been right. Harry sounded primitive.

"I give up."

Carlisle looked up in wonder to blink at his daughter, Alice, who was standing by the door. "I'm sorry?" he asked.

Alice arched a brow.

"Oh…" Carlisle smiled tiredly. "Right." How could he have forgotten that Alice had the burden of knowing almost all paths that lead to the future? "Just a case that came in a few weeks ago."

"Sounds interesting."

"Bewildering."

Alice winked. "And that. Can you talk about it?" she asked.

"There is no secrecy around you, Alice," Carlisle said.

"True, true…"

Carlisle gestured for her to come into the office. Perhaps a third set of eyes would help. "I'm afraid I might have scared him away," the doctor said before shrugging.

"Because he found out you don't have a heart?" Alice smirked. "Yes. That is quite a startling discovery. No doubt about it."

Carlisle leaned back and shook his head at her. "You always make light of the situation. I am genuinely concerned."

"You are _always_ concerned," Alice said with an airy wave. "Besides, you said he's an amnesiac, so no one is going to believe him even if he tells. You have nothing to worry about."

Carlisle knew that to be the truth. But that wasn't all that was bothering him. "I feel sorry for him. He's… a very sweet boy. I can't imagine how confused he must be feeling at the moment. He is always lost. He is polite and quiet. He takes pleasure in understanding the simplest facts. He seems more like a five year old than an eighteen year old. You should have seen him the day he got his spectacles. The smile of his face… Hmm."

Alice clicked her tongue to draw Carlisle out of his reverie. "There you go romanticizing humans again," the young vampire joked. Carlisle laughed in embarrassment. Alice then nodded slowly. "But that's who you are, Carlisle. You are kind and generous. You feel such empathy for your patients. I admire you for that."

"No more praise."

"Alright, no more praise," Alice nodded. "Now, with this patient of yours, I thing you should keep working with him as you would normally. He's very impressionable. So don't talk about this subject about your heart. He will most likely forget it because he is still learning about the world, hmm? Nothing to fret about."

"Says you," Carlisle murmured with a fond smile.

The next morning, Carlisle entered Harry's room hesitantly. The boy was sitting by the window, reading one of Esme's novels. Carlisle watched him for a brief moment before clearing his throat.

Harry jumped up, startled from his perch, and stood up straight when he recognized Carlisle. "Good morning," he stammered.

"Morning," Carlisle said kindly. "How are you? Had breakfast?"

"Yes." Harry kept his eyes on his feet after that, even while exchanging pleasantries. It was as though he was consciously avoiding eye contact.

Carlisle didn't want to make Harry unnecessarily agitated. He walked over to the desk where the textbooks lay untouched. "You didn't look through them last night?" he asked.

"I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about," Carlisle said. "I am actually very pleased with your progress, Harry. It also helps greatly when you are cooperative. I'd wager you are one of my best patients thus far. That's saying something, isn't it?"

"You aren't angry with me?"

Carlisle glanced back at Harry. "No, I'm not," he said truthfully. "Why would I be angry with you?"

"Because it's a secret, isn't it?"

Carlisle turned to face Harry once again, tilting his head inquisitively.

"That you don't have a heart. I wasn't supposed to know, right?"

"Oh…"

"I won't tell anyone. Secrets are very important."

Carlisle leaned against the table. Sometimes Harry said the darnedest things. "Yes. Secrets can be very important," he agreed. "But… so is honesty, right?"

Harry flicked his eyes down at his hands, rubbing his thumb over the faint scar that he had noticed the night before. _I must not tell lies_. He clenched his fist, making the words stand out in white. "Do you want to see something?" he asked his doctor.


	3. Chapter 3

"Of course."

Harry walked over to Carlisle and showed him his fist. "Is that weird?" he asked, waiting for affirmation. Maybe it _wasn't_ weird at all, but he wanted to get Carlisle's opinion on the scar.

The man stifled his shocked gasp when he saw the words. He cupped Harry's hand in his, scrutinizing the jagged letters. "I must not tell lies," he read. He raised his eyes to meet Harry's. "Do you remember this?"

"No," Harry said. "I don't know how I got it."

At first Carlisle thought it to be self-inflicted. The words themselves seemed to be meant for Harry, so perhaps he had done it to himself. But then he realized that Harry was right-handed and the scar was also on his right hand. "Are you ambidextrous, Harry?" he asked quietly.

"Um… I don't think so," Harry mumbled. "Why?"

Carlisle didn't say.

But Harry understood.

He jerked his hand away. "You think I did this," he guessed correctly, his voice fluctuating in an accusatory manner. "You think _I_ did this?"

Carlisle took Harry's hand in his once again, holding on even when the boy tried to pull back. "If you can't write with your left hand, then I know you didn't do this, okay?"

"I wouldn't do this!" Harry exclaimed. "I wouldn't do something like this!"

He was feeling agitated because he recognized the writing on his hand. It was spidery and clumsy, much like his penmanship. He was anxious because, in the pit of his stomach, he had a feeling that he _had_ hurt himself intentionally, and that scared him.

"I know, Harry," Carlisle said, sincerity ringing his tone. "If you tell me you didn't do this, then I believe you. I really do."

Harry kept his defiant eyes on his hand, glaring at the scar and willing it to go away. He didn't want it and he hadn't asked for it. "I can tell lies if I want," he muttered rebelliously.

Carlisle couldn't help smiling. "Yes, I am sure you can," he said in appeasement. "But I'd bet you haven't told a lie yet, have you?"

"Well, I don't _like_ lying," Harry grumbled begrudgingly. "But I _can_ lie."

"So can I."

Harry looked at Carlisle out of the corner of his eye. "You haven't lied to _me_, have you?" he asked.

Carlisle laughed in response. "You haven't asked any questions that have required me to lie, so no, I haven't lied to you," he said.

"Good."

* * *

"You have no idea what this is?"

Harry sat in silence, his head tilted slightly and a finger tapping his chin. "Can I touch it?" he asked after a fashion of time.

Carlisle wondered if wrenching his hair out was an appropriate human response for this situation because he was feeling much too frustrated to behave like a vampire. Harry was sitting in bed with a laptop in front of him and he had no clue what to do with it. "Yes, you may touch it," the doctor said with strained patience.

Harry hesitantly poked at the A key, then the B. He frowned when nothing happened. "But there's no music," he mumbled in confusion. He tried pushing C and D. It was all so hard to find because the letters were scattered randomly. And there was only silence as he pressed buttons.

"It's not a musical instrument, Harry," Carlisle explained. He sat down on the chair, feeling astonished and defeated. "You have _never_ used a computer before? In your entire life?"

"Hmm…" Harry chewed on his cheek, then shook his head. "What do I do with it?"

* * *

"Can you believe it?" Carlisle exclaimed. "He asks me what he can do with it! What is happening?"

His family was seated around the living room, barely hiding their amusement as they listened to his long-winded rant.

"I feel like I've stepped into another world when I visit his room." Carlisle paced the room as he often did when he was faced with a tricky situation. "I had to show him how to type out words. He is clueless yet he can hold a genuine conversation with me. I have never met anyone like him in my life!"

"He has amnesia, dear," Esme reminded her husband helpfully. "Of course he has suffered some memory loss."

"Wait 'til you show him the glorious internet," Emmett guffawed. "He's going to freak out, that's for sure."

"Maybe he's from a parallel universe," Alice quipped. "No computers or technology. Just ancient potions and stars."

"You've been reading too many stories," Jasper mumbled while wrapping his arm around his wife. "He is a boy who has had an accident. He is incoherent."

"Unbelievable," Carlisle muttered under his breath.

* * *

Edward leaned against the wall, pressing his hands to his eyes while attempting to calm himself down. He had been a mess over the past month and now he had unknowingly revealed himself to the new girl, Bella. But he couldn't very well have watched her get crushed just to save face. He had already heard an earful from his siblings. He was in no mood for another lecture. Rosalie had been absolutely livid.

He looked up as Carlisle appeared in front of him. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"You haven't done anything wrong," Carlisle assured him. "In fact, you did wonderfully."

"No one else seems to think so."

"I think so and Bella thinks so." Carlisle patted Edward's arm. "It's bound to blow over, okay?"

"Hmm." Edward wouldn't have been so nervous if he could just read Bella's thoughts and hear what was going on in her mind at that moment. "I just want to know what she's thinking and I can't."

"You don't realize how important a sense is until you lose it," Carlisle said sagely. "Now you know how we feel."

Edward glanced away.

"I'll take care of this," Carlisle promised Edward. "You can recoup here. No need to go to school." He left Edward in the hallway, hoping to find Officer Swan before things got out of hand.

Edward shuffled towards the chairs and sat down slowly as his mind worked overtime trying to figure out a way out of the mess. He had crushed the hood of that car and there was no doubt in his mind that Bella knew what had done it. How was he going to explain this to her? And how was he going to get Rosalie to stop glowering at him?

He glanced up when he heard a soft whisper in his head.

The door to the room he sat in front of was partially open and, through the sliver, he could make out a hidden figure. He sat up straight when he realized that the thoughts he was hearing was muffled and sluggish, as though he was hearing someone's voice underwater. That had never happened before.

Harry opened the door a bit wider so he could stare at Edward more blatantly.

"Hello," Edward instigated, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't startle the patient who didn't appear much different from an innocent deer that he often hunted.

"Hello," Harry echoed.

"Can I help you?"

Harry flicked his eyes off to the sides, examining the hallway. Once he found no one in them, he leaned forward to create a sense of secrecy and whispered, "Are you related to Dr. Cullen?"

Edward was guarded now. "Hmm. Yes. What gave it away?"

"You look like him."

"And is he your doctor?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. He continued to whisper, but Edward could hear clearly enough. He struggled to hear those thoughts though. He couldn't focus on it to make it sharper. That was certainly quite intriguing. "Did you come to visit him?"

Edward looked down at his hands that were entwined against his knees. "Had a bit of an accident at school," he answered.

"Oh!" Harry's eyes widened. "Are you hurt?"

Edward shook his head. "Just some friends. They're fine now," he explained. "Car slid in the snow."

Harry chewed his cheek thoughtfully. The resemblance between this man and Carlisle was incredible. And Carlisle was nice enough. "I'm Harry. What's your name?"

"Edward." The young vampire then roved his eyes over what little he saw of Harry. He saw no bandages or IV lines. "Are _you_ hurt?"

"I don't remember anything."

Edward understood now. "Oh, so _you're_ Harry," he murmured.

"Is everyone talking about me?"

Edward couldn't help smiling at the wary way that question was phrased. "I don't know if _everyone_ is talking, but Carlisle certainly is. He's rather caught up in your casefile," he told Harry.

"That's embarrassing," Harry sighed despondently. Then he narrowed his eyes at Edward. "Hey… Do you know anything about computers?" he asked.

Edward couldn't be sure what that meant. "Maybe."

Harry stepped back after opening the door wider, inviting Edward in. He proceeded to pick up his laptop from atop his bed, turning it around so Edward could see it. "It's not doing anything anymore."

Edward took the laptop out of Harry's hand and tried to wake it up. But the screen stayed black. "You probably just need to charge it," he murmured.

"Charge it?"

Edward looked up at Harry curiously. "Yes. Do you have the power cord?" he asked.

"Um…"

He realized that Harry had no clue what he was talking about. So he looked around the room to see if it had been left behind by Carlisle. And, sure enough, the coiled wire lay beside a wall socket. He walked over and plugged the laptop in. "You just need to let it charge for sometime," he explained. "You can use it in a bit, okay?" He pushed on the power button, prompting the machine to turn on.

Harry joined Edward and sat on his haunches in front of the computer. He breathed out a sigh of relief when the screen flickered on. "I thought I had broken it," he confessed. He hesitantly ran his fingers down the wire. "I didn't know you had to charge it."

"It's the same as any machine," Edward said. "It needs to power up."

"But it works even if I don't plug it in," Harry argued.

"And it will run out power if you keep using it without plugging it in. That's why it's called a portable device. It holds power for a few hours and you need to charge it after that to make it run again."

"Oh. I see."

Edward was incredibly fascinated now. "You really don't remember anything, do you?" He couldn't imagine how that must feel, not being able to remember your life. "How are you still sane?"

Harry snorted in derision. "I don't know. If you don't think too hard, it doesn't seem too scary," he figured. "Carlisle said that I should take things one step at a time."

"I see."

"Are you two brothers?"

Edward paused, wondering if he should say yes. "Do we look like brothers?" he asked instead.

"Oh, yes," Harry said with a big nod. "You two look the same."

"He's my foster father."

Harry blinked.

"Does that seem strange to you?"

The young man brought his hand up and pressed it against his cheek while looking off to the corner, obviously thinking really hard about something. Then he looked back at Edward. "Don't you think he's kind of young to be your foster father?" he asked. "Besides, you two look the same so that means you're related, right?" He twitched his mouth to the side in consternation. "Or maybe I'm wrong?" he added. "I don't know anything anyway."

Edward was feeling so much lighter after speaking with Harry. He had thought _he_ had it rough. This brought everything into perspective. "Well, I guess all you need to know is that he is my family," he said. "Don't worry about this, hmm? You have enough to think about in any case."

Harry smiled at Edward. "You're nice," he said. "Just like Dr. Cullen."

"And that's a little too bold, Harry," Edward murmured helpfully. He smiled again when he saw Harry grimace. This was one of the longest and most meaningful conversations he had had with a person who wasn't his family. "Keep your feelings in," he said. "You don't have to let them all out at once. It scares people away."

"Right," Harry stammered, his cheeks coloring bright red. "Um… Yeah. That's probably why everyone feels weird around me, huh?"

"Your honesty? Mhm."

"It doesn't sound bad to me," he grumbled.

"Because you don't remember anything. You don't remember a time when honesty gave you trouble."

Harry breathed out his frustration as he shifted to sit with his back against the wall. "It's like I have to learn how to talk to people _all_ over again," he complained. "Do you know how hard that is? I don't know the right things to say or think. It's _really_ difficult."

"I never said it was easy," Edward sympathized. "You seem like a good person. When people don't have anything to hide, they become too honest." He absently tinkered with the laptop. "But… you know, sometimes I wish everyone would just be honest." Then he wouldn't have to interpret people's actions and thoughts when they contradicted each other. Life would be a lot simpler. He read the words that Harry had written on the computer. "What's this?" he asked, pointing at the text.

"I don't know. I'm just writing things." Harry shrugged. "It's fun. You can change colors. Pretty cool, huh?"

Edward shook his head at Harry and laughed in disbelief. "You don't know what you're missing, Harry." He pulled the laptop closer.

Carlisle walked around the corner, expecting to find Edward there. Instead, he was met with empty chairs. But he heard his son's voice from behind a partially closed door, accompanied by soft music.

He peeked into Harry's room in astonishment.

Harry was practically bent over double as he pressed his ear against the laptop that rested on the ground, listening to music with a wondrous grin on his face. He was staring up at Edward but not really seeing him because his attention was on the song coming out of the hidden speakers. "So awesome," he gushed.

Edward looked up when he heard Carlisle's thoughts. He read worry and bemusement in them. They smiled at each other while Harry remained oblivious to his audience.

"He can stay with us," Edward murmured, his words low enough so only Carlisle could hear him. "He's lost. Even his thoughts."

Carlisle nodded vaguely. Edward almost never asked him for anything. He watched them for a few moments, then stepped out of the room, closing the door and leaving the boys alone once again.

"Shall I show you more?" Edward asked. He didn't mind spending a bit of time with a human who wasn't afraid of him. In fact, he was beginning to enjoy it.


	4. Chapter 4

Usually Carlisle visited Harry as soon as he started his shift in the morning, finding the boy either finishing up some bland breakfast or typing away on his laptop. So when the hospital room was empty one morning, he was both mystified and a little worried. Harry wasn't allowed out of the room without supervision and, upon talking with the nurses, realized that no one knew of his whereabouts. Harry's favorite places to be in the hospital were outside in the small park by the back or the cafeteria. Carlisle checked both locations. Harry wasn't there.

He double-checked with the nurses as his worry deepened, but they hadn't seen the young man all morning. He couldn't have disappeared into thin air, surely.

Carlisle took a breath to calm down. Now this was an amnesiac with severe brain damage. He barely understood rules. Where would he be?

His mind flashed to an incident two days ago when he had accompanied Harry outside. The boy had looked up at the cloudy sky and simply stared for a long time without talking.

The roof?

Carlisle raced up the empty stairwell and threw the door open.

His initial disappointment of being alone on the roof was quickly pushed away when he heard Harry's quiet voice coming from around the corner by the heating unit. He made his way towards it, his motions growing more relaxed now that he had found his missing patient.

Harry was sitting on the cement with his arms around a grey ragdoll kitten. He was coddling it happily. The kitten was meowing and purring from all the attention. It twisted and turned in Harry's hug, getting incredibly comfortable against him. Harry laughed when the cat tickled his neck. "You're not hard to figure out, are you?" he murmured. It licked his cheek. "In fact, you're the _easiest_ to figure out. _And_ you're the fluffiest thing I've _ever_ seen. _Ever_." The kitten finally settled down on Harry's lap. "You shouldn't run away," he chided gently. "Then Mrs. Rider would be very unhappy, right? You should stay put in her room." He scratched the kitten's head. "Next time. This time you can hang out with me."

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Harry?"

Harry looked to the right and smiled at his doctor. Then his smile slipped as though he had only just realized where he was. He looked around in fright. "Oh!" He jumped up to his feet, much to the cat's annoyance. It mewled pathetically as it landed on the cement on all fours. It glared at Carlisle for disturbing a very satisfying massage session. "I'm sorry," Harry rushed. "I didn't-I was-Sh-she wandered into my room and I was trying to catch her and I-"

"It's alright, Harry," Carlisle interjected. "Just leave a note next time, okay?"

The kitten wrapped itself around Harry's leg, prompting him to pick it up. "I will," he promised.

"Shall we get the cat back to Mrs. Rider, then?"

"Okay."

Thankfully Mrs. Rider hadn't even noticed that her precious kitten was missing. She still gave Harry a lemon sucker for finding the fur ball. He accepted it with a wide grin and had already popped it into his mouth as he walked out of the old woman's room with Carlisle. "She's so funny," he laughed. "She never remembers me. She always gives me candy. I think she likes me even if she can't remember my name."

"She says you remind her of one of her grandchildren," Carlisle divulged. "So she has a soft spot for you."

"Do you have pets, Dr. Cullen?"

"I've already got enough people at my house."

"Oh? How many?"

"There are seven of us."

"Whoa! Awesome! I'd want a pet. I think I want a cat." He looked down at his clothes. "Except they shed a lot." He was covered in white hair. "That's okay, though. I like Mrs. Rider's cat."

"It seems she's fond of you as well."

"_Everyone_ likes me." Harry raised his sucker in the air triumphantly. "That's cool."

Once they were back in the room and seated at the table, Carlisle grew graver. "Now, Harry, I need to speak to you about something important."

"Okay." Harry nodded to show that he was listening.

"It's about your stay here."

"Oh."

"It's been nearly four months already."

Harry glanced away. He had been keeping count. "I should go, huh?" he mumbled. Where was he supposed to go?

"Where would you go?" Carlisle asked.

Harry shrugged.

"Your progress has been phenomenal," the doctor continued. "That's mostly due to your enthusiasm. You want to get better. I see that. And you _are_ getting better every day."

"But I'm taking up room, right?"

Carlisle hated to admit it, but he nodded, nearly flinching when he saw the expression on Harry's face. He was hurt and understandably so. "I… wanted to suggest something, Harry."

"Okay."

"Would you like to live with my family?"

Harry looked up at him in astonishment. "What? With you?" he gaped.

"I've been talking with Esme and… she would love to have you. I would as well," Carlisle explained eagerly. "We have five foster children and you've already gotten along with Edward, so… would you like that?"

Harry appeared torn. "Is… is that alright? I… You don't even know me, Dr. Cullen," he stammered.

"Of course I know you," Carlisle exclaimed. "I probably know you better than anyone else knows you."

"Yes, but not _really_," Harry emphasized. "You don't _really_. I'm really messy and imposing and confused and-"

"Which is why I would hate to kick you out into the real world," Carlisle interrupted. "I cannot, in good conscience, discharge you and then wash my hands off of you. And… call me selfish, but I would hate to transfer you to Seattle. Just think about it, alright? We have a wonderful house just outside town. It's a little isolated, but you can go to school with everyone. The younger ones are about your age."

"You aren't letting me think about it," Harry argued while smiling helplessly. "How am I supposed to say no if you ask me like _that_?"

"Don't say no?" Carlisle proposed.

"I haven't even got a last name."

"Cullen isn't so bad, is it?"

"Are you adopting me?"

"I suppose I am. You _are_ of age, so…"

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Carlisle couldn't be sure. "Because I've never met anyone like you," he said honestly. "And if you're getting a second try at life, then I want to help you. I have to help people. It's my nature. You need all the help you can get, Harry. So don't say no."

Harry sighed loudly. "So unfair."

"Me?"

"Yes."

* * *

Harry peeked inside Mrs. Rider's room after his nap. The old woman was sitting up in bed and eating her bowl of pudding eagerly. "Hello," he chimed. She looked up at him blankly. "I'm Harry," he said. "Can I play with your cat?"

"Of course, dearie," she cooed as a weathered smile brightened her face.

Her kitten had been sleeping at the foot of the bed, but upon hearing Harry's voice was awake and awaiting him eagerly. He approached the bed and sat down on the edge of it. The kitten hopped onto his lap and batted at his chest. "She's so nice, Mrs. Rider," Harry gushed. "She's always happy, isn't she?"

"Of course. What's there to be sad about?" the old woman asked. "Are you sad about something, love?"

Harry didn't say anything. He combed his fingers through the kitten's long hair instead and let the question die out into silence. It wasn't long before he heard low rumbles from the cat, making him smile.

"You have a wonderful smile," Mrs. Rider said.

"Really?" Harry looked up at her and grinned. "Thank you. I think you have a nice smile too, even though you don't have any teeth."

Mrs. Rider laughed heartily. "You're too funny, Harry."

"Hey, you remembered my name," Harry cheered.

"You're the only one who visits me," she murmured. "I couldn't forget that."

"No one visits me either," he told her. "That's why I come visit _you_. Then everything makes sense." He took the kitten's paws in his hands and held them up. "Do you like Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Rider? Is he nice to you?"

"He's nice to everyone," she remarked. "He's such a strange man."

"Why's he strange?" Harry looked up at her. He wanted to know her opinion.

"He's so cold."

"Cold?"

"His hands. It's like Death."

Harry narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't be silly," he chided. "How do you know what Death feels like? No one knows _that_."

Mrs. Rider smiled faintly. "That's true… It's an expression, dearie."

Harry didn't like that expression. "But he's still nice, right? Even though he feels cold. He can't help how cold his hands are. I mean his insides. He's nice on the inside, right?"

"He always asks me about my grandchildren," she sighed. "I think he is very nice on the inside. Not rotten like most people."

"I haven't met any rotten people yet," Harry realized gravely. "I've read about them in books though. I don't think I'd want to meet a rotten person."

"What's wrong, Harry?"

He exhaled and hugged the kitten again. "He wants to adopt me."

"Dr. Cullen?"

"Mhm."

"Isn't that something to be happy about?"

Harry knew it was. It felt nice to know that someone cared that much about him. "It's scary. I think he sees a _different_ Harry."

"And which Harry are you?"

"Damned if I know."

"Language, mister."

Harry ducked his head and blushed sheepishly. "Sorry. I mean, I… I don't know," he mumbled.

"So you don't want him to dislike you?"

"Yeah. I don't want that."

"Then you should be on your _best_ behavior when you go live with the Cullens," Mrs. Rider said. "You should say please and thank you. You should help them with dinner and dishes. Study hard. That's all you need to do. Just be polite and keep that precious smile up. They will have a _very_ hard time disliking you."

"You make it sound so easy," he grumbled.

"Because it _is_ that easy."

* * *

_One year later…_

"Morning."

Harry yawned obnoxiously. "What time is it?" he garbled.

"Usual time," Esme chimed. "Breakfast is almost ready downstairs, okay?"

"Oh," Harry moaned. He rolled over onto his stomach and pulled the sheets over his head. "I don't wanna get up."

"Mhm. I know."

An hour later, Harry trudged downstairs with damp hair and droopy eyes.

"Aw, look at you," Alice cooed from her perch at the dining table.

"No," Harry whined. "Why are you always so happy?" He slumped down next to her and laid his head down on the table.

"What I don't understand is why you're always so tired," Alice countered.

"Late night?" Carlisle asked without looking up from the newspaper.

"Yeah."

Esme slid over a warm plate of eggs and toast towards Harry. He gobbled down the food like it was the first meal he had seen in ages. Less than five minutes was up as he took his last gulp of orange juice. He sighed in content and leaned against the chair with a satisfied smile.

"That's disgusting, Harry," Rosalie hummed as she walked into the kitchen with Emmett in tow. He ruffled Harry's hair good-naturedly before snatching the sports section off the table. The couple sat on the other side of the table.

Harry stuck his tongue out at Rosalie, who pulled a face at him in turn.

Alice giggled and glanced up in time to see Jasper walk in. They winked at each other.

"Edward's going to be late," Esme quipped from behind the kitchen counter.

"When isn't he late?" Rosalie and Harry murmured in unison.

Edward sat on the rug of his bedroom with his headphones plugged into the stereo system to shut out all other sounds. It was a way he could relax without being overwhelmed by thoughts. He focused on the instruments and that was enough for the rest of the world to melt away.

So he was somewhat caught off guard when he felt warmth against his back and soft breath against his neck.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Harry muttered as he rested his chin against Edward's shoulder from behind. "You're always making us late."

"I have _never_ made us late," Edward corrected him.

"What are you listening to today?"

Edward reached out to unplug his headphones. Music soon filled his room, soft and soothing with strings and a piano. "What do you think?" he asked.

"Hmm," Harry smiled. "You're happy."

"Harry…"

He laughed cheekily. Then he tugged at Edward's elbow. "Let's go now."

* * *

**A/N:** Holy bananas, thanks for all the follows and reviews, you guys! Too cool!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Since you guys are being _so_ awesome, here's a sweet itty bitty chapter :D

* * *

Ten minutes later, the six of them were out the door and on their way to school, waving goodbye to Carlisle and Esme who stood at the doorway with wide grins, as always. They watched the van zoom off down the driveway until it had disappeared behind the corner and the trees.

Esme wound her arm around Carlisle's waist. "This is perfect, right?" she sighed.

"Yes," Carlisle agreed. He nudged Esme's chin up and kissed her lovingly. "As are you."

It was Carlisle's day off from work, so the two of them soon found themselves lounging on the sofa, surrounded by books they had pulled from the shelves of the library. Reading was one of their shared passions and they could spend hours doing so. Carlisle slouched low on the sofa and tilted his head to the side, resting it against his wife's shoulder.

Esme suddenly laughed behind closed lips.

"Hmm?" Carlisle asked.

"I was just remembering."

"What were you just remembering, love?"

"That time with Rosalie and Harry."

* * *

_Harry had taken up residence in the Cullen home for less than a week. He was quiet as always, keeping to himself and watching everyone with a fascinated expression. He had never seen so many beautiful people in one place at one time._

_Some of the Olympic Coven was not happy with this new situation and it came as no surprise that Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper were the uncomfortable ones. There had been strained silence in the house since their guest had arrived. Carlisle had tried to explain to them that there was nothing else he could have done with good conscience. He couldn't bear to send Harry away to a larger facility in the city where he would be kept in a building full of strangers. Inviting Harry to live with him was the only moral solution he could think of. He kept telling his family that the arrangement was a temporary measure. Once Harry was able to stand on his own two feet, then there would be no need for him to rely on the Cullens._

_Rosalie simply abhorred the idea of having a human live amongst them, Emmett was angry because his wife was angry, and Jasper had to control himself every moment of every day when he was near Harry._

_Harry wasn't oblivious to this, of course. He just didn't know what to do about it, so he kept mum and tried to stay out of everyone's ways, not speaking to anyone but Carlisle, Esme, and Edward. He was still getting used to life with no memories, a tiring way to live, no doubt. Changing his routine and his environment was taking a toll on him. So, one evening after a long day of studying with Esme, he had fallen asleep on the couch despite being in the same room as the whole family._

"_You still can't read him?" Alice asked Edward quietly._

"_No," Edward replied. "I can read his basic thoughts but nothing about what he is planning on doing in the future."_

"_Hmm," she nodded in understanding. "I see that way too. I can see his immediate actions but nothing in the long run."_

"_He's strange, isn't he?" Edward mumbled. "Interesting."_

"_I wouldn't know," Alice complained with an affected sniff. "He's too shy to look at me."_

_Rosalie let out a quick exhale in frustration. "Could we stop talking about him for one damned second?" she muttered testily._

"_Anything for your highness," Alice said under her breath, earning sharp looks from Emmett and Jasper._

"_He doesn't do anything, Rose," Edward reasoned. "Can't you see how hard he is trying?"_

"_And why is that my problem?" Rosalie confronted her brother. "Why does he have to be in our house? It's dangerous and absolutely unnecessary."_

_Carlisle flicked his eyes at Esme, both of them exchanging meaningful looks. It was often quite hard to break up a fight between everyone once it started. But, before they could get a word in edgewise, they were interrupted by a soft mewl._

_Harry seemed to be having a nightmare by the way he curled into himself and squeezed his eyes shut while pursing his lips and trying to muffle his voice. Then his leg jerked violently and he gasped awake._

_He scrambled to sit up, suddenly realizing where he was, and he blushed brightly. "Sorry, I fell asleep," he stammered. He struggled to get up onto his feet. "I-I'll go upstairs. Goodnight." He practically ran out of there, taking the stairs two at a time and shutting the door to his bedroom as quietly as possible._

_He thought no one would hear him if he hid under his blankets and sobbed behind his hands._

_Carlisle and Esme appeared terribly troubled when they heard his shaky gasps while Jasper, Edward and Emmett sat in uncomfortable silence, pretending not to hear it at all. Alice simply kept doing her homework without worrying. Rosalie sighed impatiently and pinched the bridge of her nose._

"_I think I should go check on him," Esme said hesitantly._

"_No, he's fine," Alice told her. "He needs a good cry, I think."_

"_And why do I have to listen to it?" Rosalie snapped before jerking up to her feet and blurring out of the room._

"_She's fine too," Alice quipped, stopping Carlisle and Esme from running after her. "Let her be."_

_Everyone hoped that Alice was right as they settled back down nervously._

_Harry was startled when the sheets and blanket were jerked down to his waist. He tried to brush his tears away but, before he could do so, Rosalie had pulled him into a hug. Harry wound his arms around her neck and buried his tears against her shoulder. She knelt on the floor and held him for a long while, stroking his hair and listening to his soft gasps. "It's just a bad dream," she murmured. She felt his fluttering heart against her chest and it seemed like a caged bird panicking wildly. She couldn't bear it. She couldn't bear his pain. She tilted her head down and kissed his wet cheek._

_He shivered in response._

"_Am I cold?" she asked, attempting to move away._

"_No," he sobbed. "It's okay." He held on tighter. "Just for a bit. It's okay. I'm sorry." _

_He didn't let go of her until he had fallen into fitful sleep ten minutes later. When she was sure that he wouldn't wake up, she moved him back onto the pillows and tucked him in._

_No one challenged her when she returned to the living room and sat down next to her husband quietly._

* * *

"I will be sad when he leaves," Esme sighed. "Won't you?"

"Surely," Carlisle agreed.

Meanwhile, at school, students were enjoying the mildly warm weather despite the fact that the sky was somewhat overcast. They stood around cars and by the benches, laughing and chatting happily.

Harry raised a hand in acknowledgement when he heard his name being called out just as he got out of the van. He smiled at Angela and Eric who were standing by the flagpole. "Come on." He grabbed Edward and pulled him along.

Edward glanced back at his siblings who watched him with barely hidden amusement. It was routine they had become familiar with the moment Harry joined their school. He was practically attached at the hip with Edward, so anywhere he went, Edward went.

And Edward, who had never been comfortable with menial conversations with his classmates, suddenly had to interact with them for Harry's sake.

"Hey, guys!" Harry beamed.

"Good weekend?"

As was the unspoken rule, no one talked to Edward Cullen. Everyone kept their distance since he was one of those cool kids everyone admired but was scared to chat with.

"Yeah!" Harry exclaimed. "I didn't do anything!"

"The best," Mike groaned. "I had to work and it sucked."

"And I keep telling him," Angela interjected, "that he has money that none of us have, so he shouldn't be complaining."

While a normal person would feel bad about being left out of the conversation, Edward was never bothered. He picked up on snippets of thoughts and that was entertaining enough for him. He liked hearing what other people thought of Harry. Most of those thoughts were encouraging and nice, although a few errant ones commented on his 'weird' behavior. Forks was a small enough town that within a month of Harry's relocation from the hospital to the Cullen residence, news of his amnesia and mysterious appearance spread around town. So his name was a common household name when he entered Forks High. It was only natural that most of the students and teachers were enchanted by him. Nothing exciting ever happened in Forks, after all.

Edward was used to hearing all kinds of thoughts about Harry.

Unfortunately, there was still Bella who almost always disappeared into the background because of her shy nature.

Edward was drawn towards the girl. Everything about her was somehow alluring, especially her scent. But after the accident she had been more withdrawn than before. He couldn't say that was a bad thing. Spending time next to her was near madness for him.

Thankfully, now that Harry was around, Edward had other things on his mind. It helped him cope with being around her.

"How was _your_ weekend, Bella?" Harry asked.

"Fine."

"Did you do anything?"

"Homework and stuff." She pushed her hair behind her ears, then shrugged, mumbling the rest of her words in a non-coherent manner.

"Yeah, that's what I was doing last night," Harry laughed. "Guess that time chart Angela made for me isn't working out so well."

"If you would just stick to it," Angela huffed. After learning about Harry's awful procrastinating habits, she had attempted to rectify it by making a colorful calendar for him with a study schedule. Obviously all that effort was lost on him.

"Stickers don't mean anything to me," Harry said with a posh tilt of his head. "Money will do, Angela. A dollar for every day I spend studying." He held his hand out.

"Hardy har har," she said sarcastically and slapped his hand away.

Harry sighed dramatically. "Sometimes I wish I had his brains, you know?" he lamented. 'Him' was Edward, of course. "He doesn't study _ever_. He just sits around looking cool. It's true. He looks cool at home too. I wish I could do that."

His friends smiled at Edward politely.

"Teen angst," Harry added.

"Harry," Edward muttered. "Shut up."

Harry had been living with them for over a year now and their relationship had deepened into something very important. While he had questioned the strange behavior exhibited by the Cullens for the first little while, when it became apparent that he wouldn't receive a straight answer, he had stopped asking. They just never ate or slept. Harry didn't know any better. He could care less. They were nice people and they took care of him. So he would be nice to them as well until he had overstayed his welcome. They were his family for now.

He was in all of Edward's class, purposefully so as requested by Esme and Carlisle. The school staff had wholeheartedly agreed to that arrangement and Edward had no qualms. So they always sat beside each other. And what had once been silent days spent in class for Edward was suddenly filled with stifled whispers and notes coming from Harry's direction.

"Hey," Harry hissed the moment his English teacher had turned her back to the class. "Bella was looking at you again."

"She was looking at you," Edward murmured. "Don't talk to me in class."

"I won't get you in trouble," Harry promised despite leaning towards Edward conspicuously. "Isn't it about time you spoke to her? She's _really_ shy."

"Harry, please?"

"Say hi when we get to bio, okay?"

"Fine, fine."

"Also, can I borrow a pen?"

Edward dropped his head in his hands, which Harry took as a 'yes' and then went on to pluck a pen off the desk.


	6. Chapter 6

Edward remembered Harry's first few months as a guest at the house. He was much more manageable when he scurried around the house trying to blend into the furniture unsuccessfully.

* * *

_Alice was thoroughly fed up with Harry slinking in and out of rooms without saying a word. First of all, it was frustrating because she couldn't see into his future. And secondly, she hated the fact that he was so scared of her._

_So, one morning, she cornered him as he walked out of the bathroom, fresh from a long shower. He backed up into the door when he was startled by her sudden appearance in the dark corridor. "Uh, um, h-hello," he stammered._

"_Hi, Harry," Alice chimed happily. "I was thinking of heading into town in the evening after school. Would you like to join Jasper and me?"_

"_That's okay," Harry was quick to respond. "It's fine."_

"_That's a yes, isn't it?"_

"_N-n-no."_

"_Aw… I thought that sounded like a yes." Alice pulled the corners of her lips down._

_Harry was obviously torn when he took in her expression. "I-I-I…"_

"_We're going shopping," she added as an incentive._

"_I don't have any money."_

_Edward felt as though it was his duty to step in at that point. The rest of his family was downstairs, laughing at Harry's expense. Edward had been listening from his room that was just across the bathroom, so he popped out to rescue the young man who looked miserable and just a little panicked. "Leave him alone, Alice. He wants to stay in."_

"_Mhm," Harry nodded eagerly. "I-I'll hang out with Edward."_

"_Hang out with me," Alice exclaimed after frowning at her brother for a brief moment. "Why are you always hanging out with Edward? I'm fun to hang out with. I want to hang out with you, Harry. You won't be bored. I swear."_

_After two more minutes of heavy persuasion, she had managed to wear Harry down. The expression on Harry's face after she had skipped down the stairs was both pitiable and amusing. Edward smiled sympathetically. "Don't let her boss you around, okay?"_

"_Hmm," Harry mumbled._

* * *

Now Harry was the one who was bossing everyone around. It was his nature. Edward realized that well enough. Once he was comfortable with the environment, Harry was the kind of person to take charge of situations. He didn't like to be pushed and he said as much after he had gotten to know Alice and Rosalie a little better. He also thought differently in comparison to other people. He rarely had a bad word to say about anyone. He was forever fascinated by one thing or the other. He got frustrated by the littlest problems but he would work away at it instead of throwing a fit. And what captivated Edward the most was how 'good' Harry was. How pure his mind was… Like a child.

* * *

"_There are bad people in the world."_

"_I know."_

"_Do you?"_

_Harry paused for a second and looked up at Edward. "I… guess not. But I know," he repeated._

"_Forks is… Utopia," Edward continued. "Time can stand still here. People don't change. And the people are good. But, once you step out into the real world, everything changes. There are liars, cheats, thieves, and killers. Life changes so quickly because of them."_

"_I know."_

"D_on't you mind?"_

_Harry furrowed his brows in confusion. He couldn't understand what Edward was getting at._

"_How can you feel okay even after knowing that?" Edward wondered._

_Harry laughed incredulously. "I've got you guys, haven't I? I'm here right now and I've got you," he explained. "Don't be silly."_

_That was the end of that._

* * *

"Oi. Quit zoning out."

Edward blinked and found himself staring at Harry's faint smile. "Sorry," he apologized when he realized that class had ended.

"You weren't even paying attention," Harry said with mock reproach. "That's not cool."

"I know. Not cool at all."

"But that's alright because I took _great_ notes. I'll share it with you for _five_ dollars. Now if _that_ isn't a deal, I don't know what is."

Edward started packing his books while hiding a smile of his own. "Why do you keep extorting money from everyone?" he wanted to know.

"A guy's got his needs."

"Ah, yes. _Needs_." There was never a boring day when Harry was around.

* * *

He rarely went outside into the woods to be alone. On days he did, he felt particularly bad about something. He never said what he felt bad about. In fact, he probably didn't know. Sometimes he felt sad and he would disappear for a little while. He would return an hour later with a clearer head and red eyes.

He picked his way through the forest one evening. He was being stupid. Sometimes he had nightmares that wouldn't go away even after he woke up. He pushed them deep inside him, but it always made his stomach churn and his hands shake. There would be so much pain in his dreams. Why?

He wanted to know who he was.

Was he a good person? A bad person? A happy person? A mean person? What was he like before? What things did he do? What did he enjoy? What did he hate? Was he always this stupid? How many people liked him? How many people hated him? Who did he love? What did he laugh at? What did he scream about?

He wanted to know all of that. He wanted to know more about himself. He wanted to know who he was.

He sat down on a mossy tree stump and pushed his glasses up against his hair so he could furiously wipe his eyes. He was being ridiculous. Why was this anything to cry about? What did it matter? The past didn't matter. He was who he was now. He was a good person now. He was a happy person. He liked being around his friends. He liked to read. He hated math. He would always be stupid. Everyone liked him. He loved the Cullens. He would laugh at anything. And, at that moment, he felt like screaming his voice away.

His heart jolted angrily when a touch to his shoulder startled him off of his perch and onto the wet forest floor. He scrambled around onto his back in fright and jumped up onto his feet.

"Hey," Edward murmured.

"Ah, shit," Harry sniffed. He turned away to dry his cheeks while silently chiding himself. "Sorry, man."

Edward waited for him to straighten up and buck up. When Harry did turn back around, he looked a lot better. He was really good at hiding his emotions. "How's your walk?"

Harry managed a miserable laugh. "Great," he answered. "Are you out for a walk too?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Let's go together."

"Okay…"

Edward led the way and Harry followed after hesitating a bit. Eventually they fell into step as they walked down the well-worn path. Harry kept his cold hands in his pockets, only taking them out once in a while to wipe his wet nose. Edward didn't speak. He felt no need to. For him, silence was never silence. He could hear Harry's murky thoughts and it was always so interesting to attempt to decipher them. He knew that Harry felt insecure and that it was because he had no memory of his past life. He couldn't imagine what that would be like. A life without memories was no life at all. It was as though Harry had only been conscious for the past two years.

"I've been getting these nightmares."

Edward glanced down at Harry. "Worse than usual?"

Harry furrowed his brows but smiled nonetheless. "How did you know?" he asked.

"You're a very restless sleeper."

"I see."

"What kind of nightmares?"

"Faceless. Voiceless. Everyone's unhappy. I'm supposed to dream about these people, but I don't know who they are. They're just strange dreams. It keeps me up because I really want to know what's going on. It terrifies me to think that maybe I-"

Edward knew what Harry was about to say. It terrified him to think that maybe he had made those faceless, voiceless people unhappy by disappearing from their lives.

"Do you think I ran away, Edward?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because… you aren't one to run away from problems," Edward noted. "You've always faced them. And you've always persevered. You try so hard."

"But maybe I _didn't_ try hard earlier," Harry argued. "Maybe I was _different_ before."

Edward didn't know what he could say to make Harry feel better, so he didn't say anything because, at least then, he wouldn't make Harry feel worse. He wished his words could mean more than it did. He wished he could tell Harry that he was good man with good thoughts and have it mean something. But words were just that – words. "Or maybe you were exactly the same," he mumbled.

* * *

In gym period, students were about to play Harry's favorite game – baseball. While half the class whined, the other half rushed the damp field with their mitts. Harry ran straight outfield. Even if he was bad at everything else, he was _really_ good at catching and throwing a baseball. In fact, he often came home with scrapes on his elbows and knees, and a bright grin on his face, much to Carlisle and Esme's delight.

Edward enjoyed baseball, but not the kind these kids played. He never knew how much strength to use, so he always ended up either lobbing the ball or being struck out. His classmates never poked fun at him, of course. They all simply thought baseball games were beneath Edward, which was fine.

Harry made fun of him, though. A lot. He had _no_ qualms about pointing and laughing outright.

He kicked at the grass while glaring at the boy who was jumping about in the field. Harry made faces at him and went on flapping his arms about.

"He's weird."

Edward glanced at Bella in surprise. That was one of the few times she had initiated a conversation with him since… the incident.

"Like a little kid," she clarified.

"Hmm."

"It's nice."

Edward smiled blandly. "He gets even stranger when you live with him," he told her.

"Hard to imagine."

An hour of play later, most of them were shivering from the cold and walking back into the building. They never kept track of scores, so there were no disappointed faces, save for the ones who were miserable in their soaked socks.

Harry jogged over to Edward. "I beat you again," he gloated.

"You did."

Harry clicked his tongue when he received the patronizing response. He could _never_ rile Edward up, no matter how hard he tried. The man was the epitome of self-control. "You could at least _pretend _to be sad," he grumbled.

"Why?"

"To make me feel better."

Edward rolled his eyes. It wasn't as though Harry needed to feel any better than he already felt.

"Anyways," Harry went on to say, "you aren't the only one who doesn't like baseball."

"Hmm?"

"Bella doesn't like it either. Right?" He nudged Bella's arm.

"I don't see the appeal in it," she answered truthfully. "Besides, there's no reason for me to play it. It won't help me in any way."

"But it's _fun_!" Harry tried to reason with her.

"It's only fun for people who play well," Edward explained to him. "Didn't you know that?"

"Oh." Harry became quiet as he thought that over.

They walked to the lockers in silence after that. In fact, he didn't speak until they were in their chemistry class.

"You're right," he finally sighed. "I get it. If I was good at math, I would like it, right?"

"Exactly."

"Well, that sucks." Everyone was filing into the room. He absently doodled on his notebook while thinking about how unjust it was that some people couldn't enjoy baseball because they weren't good at it. "But people who aren't good at sports still like to watch it, right?"

"Sure. They just won't like it when they are made to play," Edward figured. "Which is allowed, of course. Everyone doesn't have to like the same thing."

"Right. So confusing," Harry groaned, pressing his fingers to his temple. "People are so confusing."

Edward knew that all too well.

Harry often had bursts of clarity of this sort. As he learned to deal with various personalities, he would be struck with a revelation about human behavior and that would make his eyes go wide in wonder. Then again, he got that expression when he tried pizza for the first time since his accident… Edward smiled at that memory. Harry could remember having pizza before, but actually eating one must have been an assault to all his senses because he couldn't keep his eyes off of the slice the whole time he ate it.

Edward was startled out of his wits when he heard an abrupt shriek, panicked and piercing. He whipped his head around before realizing incredulously that no one else seemed to have heard it but him.

His eyes met Alice's and he saw the confusion in them. _It's Harry_, she thought. _He's going to be ill._

"Loo," Harry mumbled faintly. His expression was twisted into a grimace when he got up, as though he was in incredible pain.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked.

"I don't..." Harry trailed off incoherently as his knees gave out. Edward jerked forward and caught him before he could collapse to the ground.

* * *

**A/N:** Hee... Sorry... ^-^ This story had a severe lack of drama. I couldn't help this.


	7. Chapter 7

There was sudden silence around them for a moment. Then excited chatter started as some of the students rushed to Harry while others ran out the door to get help.

Edward was shocked into stillness. Harry's heart was beating violently and he was gasping for air. In his head, Edward heard more terrified screaming and tumultuous words of torture. He snapped out of his daze when Harry convulsed in his arms. He quickly laid the boy down on the ground and turned him on his side. Alice was near them in a flash. The two of them tried to steady Harry who was now whimpering in agony. "Harry?" she spoke quietly. "Can you hear me?"

He responded with a fearful groan.

"It's okay," she said. "You're okay." She stroked his shaking hand. Jasper, in the meantime, was calming everyone down a bit to avoid panicked students. Seconds later, teachers and the school nurse were in the room, moving students back and assuring them that the ambulance was on its way.

"Harry? You need to wake up now," Alice murmured. "It's time to wake up."

Harry's convulsions slowed and his breathing started to steady itself.

"That's _very_ good, love," she encouraged. "You're doing very well. You're okay now, aren't you? You're safe."

Edward nearly sagged with relief when Harry opened his eyes blearily.

"Hey," Alice smiled, catching the boy's attention.

"Hmm?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

Harry stared at Alice blankly, then looked up at Edward. "What?" he croaked. He attempted to push away from the hands that were holding him steady.

"It's okay," Alice tried to calm him down. "Don't move too much."

"I just… I just…"

Edward realized that he wanted to sit up. "Here," he said, helping Harry up and supporting him with his arms. "Better?"

Harry wiped his eyes quickly. "What happened?"

"Just a fainting spell," the school nurse said with a kind smile. She handed him a bottle of water. "Have a drink." He gulped down the water frantically, choking and spilling it in his hurry to quench his thirst.

Edward shifted his position so Harry was leaning against his chest instead of his arms. "You don't have to drink it all at once," he whispered.

"I want to," Harry coughed. After taking a few long gulps of water, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and appeared more alert.

The nurse unwrapped a small bar of chocolate and broke off a piece. "Let's get that blood sugar up, okay?"

Harry blinked at the chocolate.

Alice laughed to lighten the mood a bit. "You've never said no to chocolates before," she teased.

"Were there dementors?"

"Pardon?"

Harry flicked his wide eyes at the nurse. "Dementors aren't allowed on school grounds."

"Dementors?"

"Because Remus said… um…" Harry trailed off, pressing a hand to his head and blinking rapidly.

"We don't understand, Harry," Edward murmured. "What are you trying to say?"

"Huh? What happened?"

After the trip to the hospital, Harry was deemed healthy, albeit thoroughly embarrassed. He didn't like making scenes and that had been one heck of a scene. Despite reassurances from Edward and Alice, he was adamant when he said that he didn't ever want to go school again. He had never been so mortified in his life, not even when he had had panic attacks in front of Carlisle and Rosalie. He slouched into himself on his way home in the car, then rushed to his room and closed the door behind him before anyone could ask him any questions. He wanted to wallow in his horrification for a little while.

Meanwhile, the rest of the residents on the house were gathered in the dining room.

"He really is fine," Carlisle tried to convince his family. "These flashback episodes are common in patients with brain damage. His scans are clean and all the tests came up negative. He's not epileptic, but he's going to be on medication for a little while until more tests are done in a few more months."

"He wasn't being coherent, Carlisle," Edward argued. "He was spouting nonsense. He talked about… dementors and things."

"It isn't unheard of for someone like him to become confused." Carlisle looked at each member of the coven in turn. "Now, I am sure he is scared, so we just need to make his comfortable again and let him know that there is nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Sounds quite embarrassing to me," Rosalie murmured under her breath.

A few hours later, Harry heard a knock on his door. "No," he whined.

Edward opened the door in any case. He found Harry hiding under his bedding. All that was visible was a tuft of black hair against blue pillows. It was obvious that his plan was to stay hidden for as long as he could.

Edward sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you feeling bette?" he asked.

"No."

"Oh."

"I feel awful."

"But is that only because you're embarrassed?"

"Isn't that enough?"

"You can't control your body."

"Stop being sensible. That makes everything suck even more."

Edward paused. He supposed most people didn't like to hear reality. He eased the sheets down so he could see Harry's face. "If you are feeling _really_ embarrassed," he reasoned, "we can pretend like it never happened, okay?"

"Really?"

"Of course."

Harry nodded pitifully. "Please do that."

Edward smiled in response. "Then let's start where we left off, shall we?" he asked. Harry frowned, not quite understanding. "About how people can be so confusing," Edward reminded him. "Since you aren't good at math, you don't like it."

"Oh, yeah," Harry recollected. "Confusing, right?"

"Always. Saying one thing and meaning another."

Harry agreed wholeheartedly. That was enough for him to launch into a story about Mike Newton and his famous English debacle. They spent most of the evening talking about random things, steering clear of any mortifying incidents. They talked about their friends and books and music. Harry was feeling more at ease as he listened to Edward's calm voice.

"Hey," he yawned, settling into his pillow further. Edward sat against the headboard as well, his feet resting on the mattress and his arms propped up on his knees. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"You don't have a heartbeat."

Edward didn't respond for a moment, not even when Harry elaborated on his point by pressing a hand to his unmoving ribs.

"The heart pumps blood," Harry continued. "So, without a heart, you would die."

"True."

Harry waited for more of an explanation.

Edward didn't elaborate.

"Hmm," Harry murmured. He pondered his hypothesis for a little bit, wondering if he should let Edward know. He didn't want to be laughed at, that was for sure. But Edward would never laugh at anyone. "Are you dead?"

Edward smiled. "Could I speak to you if I were dead?" he countered.

Harry sighed. "Foiled again," he mumbled to himself. "Maybe you're an alien, huh?"

"Maybe."

Harry laughed. "Whatever. It doesn't matter." He turned over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, watching light dance against it from the setting sun. "Did your parents die, though? Is that why you're living with Carlisle and Esme?"

Edward inhaled slowly and stalled for a moment. Then he said, "Yes."

"Mine too."

He froze. "What?" he asked in shock. "How would you know that?"

"I know," Harry said. "I just know that. I don't have any parents. I've always known."

"Harry…"

"I'm not sad," he added. "If I've always known, then there's nothing to be sad about."

"I see…"

* * *

The incident at the school faded away in a matter of a few days. Everyone continued to act as though Harry was fragile china, but they had stopped wishing him well and nodding sympathetically. He was very glad for that. He wanted to be as normal as possible.

"Hey! Bella!" he called out from across the hall just as he got out of math. Bella glanced back and waited for him to catch up to her. "I wanted to ask you something."

Seeing his eyebrows wiggle made Bella narrow her eyes in distrust. "What?" she asked deliberately, coming to a halt by her locker.

"Well," Harry dragged on. He cast furtive glances about them. Then he looked back at Bella and kept wiggling his brows. "I have to do that test today in Biology, so you can sit next to Edward if you want," he whispered.

Bella cringed. "What?" she mumbled while ducking her head into her locker and pretending to be busy.

"Well, you sit pretty close to us in any case, so he won't even notice if you sat in my spot," Harry explained deviously. "Then you can talk to him, okay?"

"Stop, stop," she rushed. "What are you doing?"

He nudged her and winked. "You_ like_ him, don't you?" he grinned.

She stared at him in disbelief. "What are you-I never s-Why would you-What?"

"He's pretty shy too," Harry tsked with a grave shake of his head. "It sucks that_ neither_ of you can hold a conversation yet. But you've known him for longer than _I've_ known him, right? You guys should be friends too."

Bella leaned into her locker and thumped her head against it in defeat while groaning. "Not like that, Harry," she muttered.

"Eh?"

"It's not like that," she went on to say. "He's… interesting. And it's not like he'd really notice me. So if you ever try to set me up with him, I swear to God, I'm going to-"

"Wait. Of course he's noticed you! I know he has! You don't _like_ him?" He whipped around to search through the lunch crowd in the hall. He honed in on the Cullens standing by the cafeteria in a tight circle. He couldn't see Edward's face since his stiffened back was turned. The rest of them seemed to be sharing a joke, evidenced by their smiles. Harry whipped back around and jerked Bella behind the locker door, hiding from their view. "If you're kidding, I'll punch you in the face," he threatened by showing her his balled up fists. "I swear, Bella."

"What's gotten into you, Harry?" Bella asked, bewildered by her friend as she pushed his fists away. "Did you say something to him?"

Edward winced and let his head drop into his hands while his siblings tried ever so hard not to burst out laughing in the middle of the corridor. They were all eavesdropping, of course. Despite Edward's insistence that they go _far, far away_, the rest of his party wanted to hear every last detail of this exchange between Harry and Bella.

Five minutes later, Harry set his lunch tray down beside Edward at their usual table in the cafeteria and shifted his weight between his feet for a few seconds before sitting down quickly. Edward tried to look nonchalant, but his siblings were bombarding him with thoughts that were sure to drive him mad.

Rosalie cleared her throat primly and sat forward. "So, Harry… What were you talking to Bella about?" she asked.

Harry jerked while Edward glared at his sister furiously. "Uh, um. Er, just… stuff," he managed to stutter out. "School stuff."

"You two seemed pretty excited," Emmett joined in, tilting his head and smirking at Harry. "Finally asked her out on a date, did you?"

Harry blushed while sinking into his chair. "Why would I do that?" he mumbled as he kept poking at his salad. "She's just a friend. I can talk to my friends. It's allowed."

"She rejected you, did she?" Emmett sighed dramatically. "Happens to the best of us. Feels bad, man."

"You guys," Alice giggled. "Stop teasing him."

"Yeah," Harry grumbled. "Stop teasing me." He scowled at his salad, now wondering why on Earth he had bought a _salad_ instead of pizza. He hadn't been thinking straight, that was probably why.

His frown faded away when a pizza slice was pushed his way. He cast a sideways glance at Edward who was handing over his lunch, as though he knew that Harry wouldn't be eating the salad. Harry grabbed the pizza off the plate and bit into it hungrily, relishing the cheese and grease. "So you can read my mind now?" he muttered with a full mouth.

Edward looked away in an attempt to maintain his composure while the rest of the table didn't even bother. They started laughing musically instead and drew ample amounts of attention to themselves.

Harry leaned his elbows against the table and tugged at Edward's shirt. "I have to tell you something," he whispered.

"Later," Edward rushed before Harry had even finished talking.

"I need to go… study," Alice said suddenly. Her chair scraped against the floor and she grabbed her bag without another word, speed walking out of the cafeteria much to the astonishment of the rest of the table.

"Now's fine," Harry said. He looked at everyone else and added, "It's a secret." Then he pulled Edward back so they were leaning away from the table. He cupped his hands to his mouth and reached up to whisper into Edward's ear. "I talked to Bella and asked if she wanted to sit with you in-"

"Harry, stop," Edward begged while trying to push him back.

It was a fruitless gesture, of course. "Let me finish real quick," he hissed. "I thought she liked you. Turns out she doesn't like you _like that_. Is that okay?" Then he pulled back and waited for Edward's answer.

Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper didn't even bother with excuses. All of them just got up while half-mumbling various incoherent words and rushed to the nearest exit.

Edward rubbed his eyes in defeat. "Yes, that's okay, Harry," he said tiredly.

"Why did everybody go?" Harry wondered. "I'm still eating…"

* * *

**A/N:** ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

Not you, XxKit-ChanxX and misteeirene and Lientjuhh and xDarklightx and Evi15 and bubbsybub and Woodland Spirit and RRW and NightStalkersRevenge and brynchilla and EmilyMedia and deadlydozen and the rest of those anonymous shadows. You guys are awesome and you shall stay awesome in my books because you take the time out of your day to feed me delicious reviews. You are A+ souls in my book. Much love!

The rest of them are phonies. Big, fat phonies. No love for you.  
But I shall begrudgingly thank you for the follows and favorites. Because I'm gracious. Unlike you bunch of big, fat phonies.

Now imagine sweet, forgetful Harry saying all that. Yeah. That's what I thought. You feel bad, don't you? Good.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Holy heck, thanks for the reviews! See? I knew a bit of guilt could go a long way. Hee.  
And now, moving the story along...

* * *

Carlisle and Esme left on their holidays the day Christmas break started for their children. They were visiting Alaska, as they did every few years. They enjoyed the time away, even if it was for just a week. The house was devoid of 'adult' supervision.

From all the books Harry had read, he expected something… more rebellious.

Instead, everyone just sat around and lazed about all day.

"Wait. So is this _all_ you guys do?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"What would you like us to do?" Alice humored him.

"I don't know. Parties? Go nuts? Something _other_ than doing what you _always_ do! Why are you so boring?"

"That's not nice," Rosalie chided. "This is what we like to do on our vacation time."

"What would _you_ like to do, Harry?" Emmett asked.

Harry tapped his chin. "Well… First, we need to do something that could potentially get us in a lot of trouble," he thought aloud. "That's what everyone does."

An hour later…

"ARE YOU GUYS HAVING FUN YET?"

Harry was standing at the foot of a steep hill, bundled up in jackets and mittens, yelling up at his friends who were at the top. His sled sat by his feet and he was waving for everyone to come after him.

"Why are we here?" Rosalie muttered under her breath.

"Stop being a spoilsport," Alice giggled before pushing off and zooming down the snowy slop, getting snow in her face and under her scarf. Jasper followed her down after getting a running start.

Emmett reached out and took Rosalie by hand, spinning her onto his sled that was already threatening to give way under his hulk. She shrieked as he lurched forward and forced them down the hill. Halfway down, their sled tipped from being too top-heavy, causing the passengers to topple out and roll down at a speed that would have surely broken a human's neck. They both came out of it alive, however, despite being covered from head to toe in snow. Harry cheered himself hoarse as Edward pulled up a gentle halt at the end of the hill. Rosalie was in the process of pelting Emmett with snow, obviously enraged. He laughed as he curled up into a defensive ball.

"Like children," Edward sighed, turning to Harry for confirmation. He was met with a snowball to the face.

Harry cackled while running away with his arms flailing behind him as he cut through fresh snow.

Edward didn't have a shoddy aim by any means.

Harry pitched forward when he was hit with a snowball on the back of his head. He landed face first in the sticky snow. He flipped over to sputter and squint at the blue sky. His mittens scrunched against ice crystals and he sat up quickly, launching his snowball blindly. His eyes widened when he saw that he hadn't thrown it at Edward, but rather at Jasper. "Oops," he squeaked as he scrambled up.

He fell again when Alice and Edward shot at him with multiple snowballs. "NO FAIR!" he shouted in reproach. Before he could get up, however, he heard ominous crunches on the snow and he covered his face while squeezing his eyes shut. Sure enough, a shower of snow rained down on him.

When he was finally able to open his eyes without fear of being snowed in, he found himself staring up at Edward. He scowled fiercely. "I don't like snowball fights anymore," he complained.

"Why? Because we're better at it than you?"

"Yes."

Edward smiled and helped Harry up, brushing his hair to get rid of the flakes of snow stuck to it. "We rarely have this much fun," he confessed. "I'm glad you're here."

"Really?" Harry brightened up. "I'm glad too." He took off his soaked spectacles and attempted to dry them against his wet clothes.

Edward took it out of his hands and dried it for him. "Aren't you cold?" he asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Harry winked. "I'll warm up if I run around a bit though. Why aren't _you_ cold?"

"I am," Edward murmured, handing the specs back to Harry.

Harry scrutinized them as he said, "I think I probably loved the snow before because I really like it now too." He looked up at Edward. "Don't you think so?"

* * *

Carlisle and Esme were lounging in the large mansion with the Denali coven. Their lifestyle was starkly different from the Olympic coven. They rarely hunted and they didn't try to hide their obvious wealth, evidenced by the paintings and curios scattered around the wonderful manor. The sisters wore dresses fit for queens and Eleazar was never without an ascot and cufflinks.

"We always feel much too crude around you," Esme laughed.

"Nonsense," Carmen smiled at her. "Beautiful as ever, Esme." She sat back against the ornate chaise, entwining her fingers with Eleazar. "Now, you simply _must_ tell us about your guest."

"Oh, yes," Tanya insisted with an excited nod. "This is intriguing."

Esme glanced at Carlisle who shrugged with a helpless smile. "He is my patient," he explained. "He has no memory and no one knows who he is. It is a temporary arrangement."

"But isn't he suspicious? How can you live with a human?" Irina wondered with wide eyes.

"He doesn't question us. He is so young. Perhaps eighteen or so," Esme answered. "He knows what to ask and what not to say. He is very kind and understanding in that sense. He also doesn't know any better, I suppose."

"So, when you say he has no memory…"

"I mean that he did not know science or arithmetic. He did not know who he was, where he was from, how he ended up in Forks. He knows nothing," Carlisle said, nodding at his friends' astonished expression. "We had to teach him. Yet he knew how to communicate with us _exceptionally _well. It was as though he had fragmented memories. He is an interesting study, to be sure. Everyone has taken a liking for him."

"Yes," Esme agreed. "I shall be very sad when he is well enough to leave us. He is such a pleasure to have around. Even Rose seems taken by him."

"Well, that would certainly be a first," Kate sniffed. The three sisters had an ongoing feud with Rosalie, and understandably so since their personalities would never work well together.

Carmen clicked her tongue at them. "I would love to meet this boy," she went on to say. "But, then again, you two have been known to exaggerate a person's good points."

"He is a child," Carlisle laughed. "It would be quite hard to find any bad points."

* * *

Harry was fresh out a shower and drying his hair as he pulled the bedroom door open. "What's up?"

Edward's breath caught uncharacteristically.

Harry's torso was liberally riddled with scars, both deep and faint. It may not be visible to the naked eye but Edward could see it so clearly.

Harry didn't notice Edward's eyes as he took the book that was held out to him. "Oh, hey. Thanks." He slipped the towel around the back of his neck so he could thumb through the pages. "It's so worn. You probably like this story, huh?"

Edward reached out and ran his fingers over Harry's chest, feeling the long and thin mark that ran along a rib.

Harry jerked in fright and whipped his eyes up. The book slipped out of his hands.

Edward caught it without blinking, almost absently. He was too transfixed on Harry. His hand traveled down. Why hadn't he known of this? How could he not have known about this? Harry moved back but Edward moved forward to match his step. "Stop," Harry mumbled. His fingers wrapped around Edward's wrist.

Edward finally looked up. "How did this… How did you get these?"

"I said stop."

That was one thing Edward didn't want to do. He gently pulled his hand out of Harry's grip and slid it around his waist to his back, nearly cringing when he felt more. He had to know what happened. He had to know who hurt Harry. As he stared at Harry's downturned face, he had to know so much. The book fluttered to the ground and he brought his other hand up to rest against the side of the young man's neck. How could Harry not have told him? He closed his eyes and tilted his head down. "Who did this?" he whispered heavily.

Harry couldn't think. He couldn't bear to think. Edward was so cold… "I-I don't know," he answered. "I just… I don't know." He shivered from the touch.

"This is… This is not okay. I… I…"

Harry scrunched his fingers into fists.

Edward pulled back abruptly. "I-I'm sorry," he faltered. "I don't know why-I wasn't-I'm… sorry." He stepped out of the room and closed the door, leaving Harry alone.

He had to get the image out of his mind. As he frantically searched through his collection of music, he could hardly make sense of the words in front of him. He swore desperately and spun around to just push play on whatever CD was already in the player. He jerked the headphone jack out so the music filled his room. He had to stop thinking. He pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. The anger he felt was… insurmountable. Terrifying. He reached behind him blindly and turned the volume up as high as it could go.

He froze when he felt a soft touch against his fingers. He turned around to look at Harry. The young man was smiling awkwardly. His shirt hid the scars with ease. Edward couldn't hear him, not his thoughts or his words. Harry shook his head when Edward didn't respond. "It _is_ okay," he repeated. His voice was drowned out by the music. "I'm okay." He rested a hand on Edward's shoulder. "I'm okay, Edward. Why are _you_ scared?"

Edward buried his face against Harry's neck, inhaling his soft soapy scent. Harry wrapped him in a comforting embrace.

* * *

Carlisle was silently appraising Eleazar's library. His collection was extensive and incredible. "I can never grow tired of this," he commented.

"Neither can I," Eleazar agreed. "But I have one that I simply must show you." He walked over to his desk and picked up the book that lay on it. It was ornate, complete with a regal red binding and etched golden letters. He handed the large book over to Carlisle. "Fascinating read," he said. "Like a web of reality and fiction."

Carlisle read the title aloud. "The rise and fall of the Dark Arts?" He raised a brow at his friend.

"There's even a chapter on us," Eleazar winked. "Quite humorous."

"Where on _Earth_ did you get this from?" Carlisle turned the book over in his hands, looking for any other discernable markings.

"From my travels," Eleazar said, his eyes twinkling with mystery.

Carlisle laughed to himself as he shook his head. He absently thumbed through the pages, catching odd words and ancient dates. "Fairy tales?" he asked.

"Most likely."

"Hmm," he smiled. But then he faltered when his eyes caught concerning words. He turned back to page, the last chapter in the book – True Death of the Dark Lord.

"Found something?" Eleazar asked, walking around to read over Carlisle's shoulder.

"I don't know…"

* * *

"Wow… That was scary…"

Edward glanced down at Harry and attempted to hide a smile. The latter appeared so very dazed. They had just walked out of the movie theatre and the movie didn't seem to agree with Harry.

"I mean, they didn't _have_ to kill all of them," he complained. "Really, some of them were just gratuitous. Right?"

"Are you going to have nightmares?" Angela teased.

"Psh," he scoffed despite thinking otherwise. "That was nothing."

"Sure, sure," Mike guffawed. "Wait 'til you wake up in the middle of the night and scream like a little girl when you see a shadow move at your window."

"Mike," Jessica whined. "That's not cool. I didn't even _want_ to see that movie."

"It was pretty stupid, I thought," Mike said, puffing out his chest. "Everything looked fake and the plot was full of holes, _as always_."

Harry cast a disappointed look at Edward. "You never even _flinched_," he complained. "You didn't like the movie, did you?"

"It was fine."

"You suck," he said under his breath. "Sorry if the rest of us doesn't have a stomach of steel."

"Mhm."

"So," Mike interrupted. "Dinner?"

Harry glanced at his watch, clicking his tongue when he realized what the time was. "We need to get back home," he sighed. "Curfew." Carlisle had set a curfew of eleven for him, more as a medical precaution than anything else.

After saying their farewells outside the small cinema, Edward and Harry got in the car and zoomed away down the almost empty roads. Harry watched out the foggy window for a long while, recapping the film in his mind and trying to figure out what Mike was talking about when he said 'fake'. It looked pretty darned real to him. "I can't believe you weren't fazed by that," he grumbled.

"Is that bad?" Edward asked.

"You didn't get to enjoy the movie. That's bad," Harry explained.

"I _did_ enjoy it. I enjoyed being with you."

Harry frowned at Edward. "That's not what I meant," he said between tight lips. "You're so cool all the time."

"Would you like me to be not so cool?"

"Yes. Then I won't feel inadequate."

Edward smiled wider still. "What's gotten into you?" he asked. "Why would you feel inadequate? You aren't so bad yourself."

"Oh, I know," Harry bragged. "I'm kicking butt."

"You sure are."

By the time they turned into the hidden driveway leading to the house, it was half-past eleven. "Good thing Dr. Cullen isn't here," Harry grinned cheekily. "See? Now we're doing something that could get us in trouble."

"Look at you. Such a rebel."

"Shut up." Harry narrowed his eyes as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "You need to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Don't you know that?" he chided. He paused when he didn't hear a response and looked up to find Edward staring up at the house unblinkingly. He looked at the house too, brows furrowing when he saw Carlisle and Esme standing at the doorstep. "Crap," he said under his breath. "Are we in trouble?"

Edward shook his head vaguely as he got out of the car. Harry followed suit. Everyone was looking much too grave and that was causing his stomach to clench. When the Cullens grew quiet, it was rather unsettling, to say the least. As they reached the stairs leading up to the house, Edward pulled Harry close by the hand, holding on tight. "What's wrong?" Harry stammered.

"We have guests," Edward murmured, but his words sounded hollow.

Harry let Edward pull him along. Dread crashed into him. He felt miles away as he watched Edward speak quietly with Carlisle and Esme. He studied their expressions and, even though he couldn't hear them, he knew what was happening. "No," he mumbled.

They glanced at him in confusion.

"I don't want to go," he said rapidly. "I won't go."

"We won't force you," Carlisle promised. "You can stay wherever you want, okay?"

"I want to stay here."

"All right. That's fine."

"With you guys."

"I know."

Harry started to genuinely panic when Edward let go of his hand.

He refused to move even when he was gently urged to do so. He looked at Esme pleadingly while he shook his head. He had never felt this scared in his life and it was doubly terrifying because he wasn't sure what he was scared about. Esme pressed her hand against his cheek and smiled as she leaned in to whisper, "You will always have a home here, Harry." She spoke soft words until she heard his heartbeat slowing down. His eyes were squeezed shut and he was struggling to keep breathing evenly, but his mind was in less of a haze as he listened to her voice. "There is nothing to be scared of," she murmured. "It's just another adventure. We will be right here."

"I… I don't know them," Harry breathed. "What if…"

"And what if you like them?" she asked in turn. "What if I promise you that you will like them?"

After much coaxing and convincing, Harry ended up standing just near the doorway leading into the living room. He glanced at Edward for support but was met with nothing. Edward stared straight ahead, expressionless. Harry flicked his eyes to the ground and let out a shaky gush of air, then straightened up by squaring his shoulders and keeping his clenched fists to his sides. "Okay," he muttered to himself, taking courage before walking in.

He stopped short when his eyes registered the two new faces staring at him in bewilderment and fear. Tense silence sent his heart racing once again, but this time it was accompanied by a strange feeling of disorientation. His vision swam in front of him a second later. He quickly turned away and pressed his hands to his mouth.

He was forced back into a rough hug.

"We didn't know where to look," Ron rushed. "I'm so sorry, Harry."


	9. Chapter 9

Harry wrapped his arms around his best friend without thinking twice. "You're so late," he whispered shakily. "You're so, so late. I've been here for so long."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

He shook his head to stop Ron from saying that. "Don't be. It's alright," he mumbled. "I'm fine now."

Ron squeezed him fiercely. "Of course you are… You're perfectly fine, aren't you?"

Harry looked up over Ron's shoulder when he felt a touch on his arm. He blinked at Hermione's wavering smile for a moment before pulling away from Ron and winding his arms around her instead. She bunched him close while laughing hysterically. Harry laughed with her behind his tears, his glasses askew and his cheeks ruddy with a feverish flush. "We missed you so much," she cried. "Don't ever do that to me again, Harry."

"I won't ever."

"Wh-when you… We… We _never_ believed you were dead," she insisted between gasps. "We would _never_ believe it. I knew it, Harry. I kept telling Ron. I've had these dreams and you-I can't believe you're right here!"

Harry patted her back with a trembling hand. "I'm not dead," he sniffed. "I'm right here."

She smiled and looked up at him. "Do you know who I am?" she asked.

Harry quickly swiped at his cheeks and shook his head. "But it doesn't matter," he declared. "You've been looking for me, haven't you?"

* * *

_When Hermione answered the knock on her office door with a disgruntled, "What?" she hadn't been expecting to find herself facing two of the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen bar Veelas. Everyone walking through the corridor was slowing their pace to ogle the tall couple wearing Muggle clothes. "Hello," she hesitated. "May I help you?"_

"_Yes," Carlisle spoke with a soft nod. "May we come in?"_

"_Of course." Hermione stepped back to allow the Cullens access to her narrow office. "Please, sit down." She was wracking her brains to figure out what sort of creatures these were. They had perfect features and an air of innate sophistication that couldn't be forged. The way they moved and sat was fluid. They were certainly magical beings._

_She walked around to her chair and sat down behind the desk. "How may I help you?"_

_Esme reached into her purse and pulled out the red book they had found at Denali. "You are the Hermione Granger from this book, are you not?" she asked as she held up the title cover for the young witch to see._

"_Most likely," Hermione murmured with a curious smile. "But that is a rather large book. Are you from the States?"_

"_Yes, we are."_

_She pushed the papers she had been working on off to the side of the desk so she could sit up with her hands clasped on the tabletop. "Were you following the book?"_

_Carlisle smiled back and nodded. "I am Carlisle and this is Esme. We currently reside in Washington," he told her. He took the book from his wife's hands and opened it to the bookmarked page. "I see your quote here, Ms. Granger. You said, 'This was a battle to stake claim on the rights of all creatures to be treated equally. Many died for this cause. And it is a battle that we must continue to fight to ensure such cruelties never be seen again, not in my lifetime and not in my children's.' Do you truly believe this?"_

"_Yes," Hermione murmured, now thoroughly intrigued._

"_And… if we were to say that we are vampires, would you treat us fairly?"_

_She inhaled sharply and sat back as her eyes grew wide. "Pardon?" she breathed. "Vampires? You?"_

"_Yes," Esme answered._

"_But…" She sat forward again, this time to scrutinize the couple. "But you are so beautiful. Both of you. You couldn't possibly be vampires. I have seen them before."_

"_None like us, I suppose," Carlisle chuckled lightly. "There aren't many."_

"_This is remarkable," Hermione gushed. "My goodness! Simply remarkable! You are out during daytime!"_

_The Cullens glanced at each other with sheepish smiles. "Yes… We… well, we are sensitive to daylight, but… it's a different type of sensitivity," Esme tried to explain._

"_You simply must tell me everything!" Hermione beamed as she sorted through her papers to find a fresh parchment._

"_But first, Ms. Granger," Carlisle interrupted, "we had more questions on this fascinating book of yours."_

"_Of course. Go on," Hermione prompted them even as she dipped her quill in ink and scribbled on the parchment._

_Carlisle turned to the last page of the chapter. "Here the author has written extensively about the end of the war," he began._

_Hermione's smile faded and her writing slowed. "Yes," she acknowledged him as she kept her eyes on the parchment._

"_And… this young man who disappeared."_

_She looked up sharply. "What?"_

"_You were one of his companions. You and… Ronald Weasley, I believe," Carlisle read. "Companions of Harry Potter?"_

"_What do you know of Harry Potter?" Hermione asked shakily._

"_What do you know of Harry Potter?" Carlisle countered._

_She cleared her throat before swallowing hard, not daring to hope. "I… He… He defeated the Dark Lord. The war ended after the defeat and we believed… it was truly over. But he disappeared. There was an attempt on his life and he… No one knows where he is. We have been searching for… for so long," she said. She reached for a thick wooden picture frame and turned it over for the Cullens to see. "That's us when we were young." The photo was of three young Hogwarts students standing outside Honeydukes in Hogsmeade, smiling and grinning. "We were in the same… school…" she trailed off when she saw the expressions on Carlisle and Esme. "Oh God," she exhaled. "Please?"_

"_He's been living with us," Esme assured the young woman._

_Hermione clapped a hand to her mouth to stifle her voice. Her eyes were swimming with tears and she had to blink rapidly to look at the small photograph that was placed on her desk by Esme. It showed a group of young, beautiful vampires and, in the midst of them, Harry was beaming at the camera. Hermione scrambled out of her chair. "I-I have to get Ron," she said while laughing through her tears. "I just-I have to get him. Please, stay?" She was already at her small fireplace with her hand in the Floo bag._

"_Of course," Carlisle promised. They watched in amazement as she disappeared into the green flames._

"_This place is so strange," Esme noted. "There is so much magic, Carlisle. It is incredible, isn't it?"_

"_And no electricity."_

"_Moving pictures…" She picked up the picture frame to look at the photo more closely._

"_They write with quills and ink."_

"_Incredible."_

_They looked up when the fireplace roared once again, this time depositing two individuals on the scuffed wooden floors. Hermione had her hand clutched around Ron Weasley who was looking rather confused and dazed. "Um… Hello," he mumbled as he hurriedly brushed soot out of his red hair. Hermione was already at her desk and she picked up the picture that Esme had shown her. She hurried over to Ron and held it up for him to see. His eyes went wide and a deep flush grew on his cheeks. "Wh-what? Harry?" he squeaked._

"_Yes!" Hermione exclaimed. "He's okay, Ron! He's really okay!"_

"_Well," Carlisle hurried to say as he got up from his chair. "Not exactly."_

_Hermione and Ron looked frightened by those ominous words._

"_I am his doctor," Carlisle explained to them. "He is suffering from severe amnesia."_

"_Oh…"_

"_He doesn't know who he is or where he is from. We are still rehabilitating him."_

"_But can we… can we see him?" Ron asked._

"_Of course," Esme said graciously. "I think he would love to meet you."_

* * *

Harry was seated between Ron and Hermione on the sofa while the rest of the Cullens were scattered around them, looking on with avid interest. Hermione kept her hand on Harry's and Ron couldn't stop grinning foolishly.

Harry finished gulping down some water and placed the empty glass on the table, feeling a little more put together after taking a few moments to compose himself. "Does this mean that I don't have family?" he asked.

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other. "We haven't told anyone that you're here. We wanted to make sure first." She squeezed his fingers. "You do have family, Harry. You don't talk to them much. I guess… you're closer to us, hmm?"

"But I don't have parents, do I?" Harry wanted to know. "I don't think I have parents."

"They passed away when you were young."

"I see."

Ron didn't want to stick to such depressing topics. "I'm Ron and that's Hermione," he interjected. "We've known you since we started boarding school together when we were eleven. We've been friends since."

"So I'm…"

"Harry James Potter."

"And my birthday is…"

"July 31. You'll be twenty one."

"Wow…" Harry scratched his head absently as he glanced at Carlisle. "That's older than we thought."

"You're from Surrey. In England."

His brows shot up. "And that's a long way away," he exclaimed. "Really? How did I end up here?" he asked Ron.

"Damned if I know," Ron said under his breath.

They were quiet again for some time. Harry was trying to wrap his head around being found. He had never imagined this. After so long, he had thought that perhaps he was a forgettable person. That no one missed him… Yet, here were two people who cried over him so genuinely. He couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with wonderful emotions.

He didn't realize he was playing with Hermione's ring until his eyes focused on the sparkling diamond. "Are you engaged?" he asked incredulously.

Hermione laughed while Ron blushed and shrank into the sofa cushions. Harry looked up at her with wide eyes. "I'm tied to that bloke," she told him, jerking her head at her fiancé. "Weird, huh?"

"That's really nice," Harry reflected. "It's nice when you're best friends." Most of the married people in Forks were best friends too. It made for sweet marriages. "I'm glad."

"You're obviously my best man," Ron added.

"Oh?" Harry exclaimed in shock. "When's the wedding?"

Ron shrugged while rolling his eyes. "Depends on when her highness sees fit," he muttered.

"Well, I just don't want to rush it, you know," Hermione tried to explain herself. "I mean, no point in it. It's not like either of us are getting out of this arrangement."

"You guys are cool," Harry chuckled. Esme had been right. He did like them a lot. "Is… is it alright if I stay here instead of going away with you?" he hesitated. He saw by the startled expressions on their faces that they hadn't been expecting him to say that. "It's just that… I don't remember anything," he reasoned. "And I… I like it here. Everyone's been kind to me. Just for a while. I'll come back. Just not yet. Is that okay?"

"Y-yeah," Ron stammered. "Sure, that's fine." He glanced at Carlisle and Esme with a loaded look that Harry missed. "I think that's a great idea, actually."

"Yes," Hermione reinforced. "No need to rush things. We will tell you everything you need to know and, when you're comfortable, you can come home with us."

"Thanks for understanding," Harry mumbled with a sheepish smile.

"Not at all, Harry. You are being _quite_ reasonable, even though you don't know it yet."

They called it a night soon after. They had all of tomorrow to actually talk. It was past midnight when Harry finally got into bed.

Carlisle and Esme listened very carefully to Hermione's quick words.

"I don't want to involve magic yet because he… he doesn't have a wand anymore and it could be dangerous," she said. "We won't tell him too much. He needs to take in information slowly, without feeling overwhelmed. That's another reason why I don't want to make this public yet. Until Harry's ready to actually face the Wizarding World, he needs to stay hidden."

"I understand," Carlisle nodded.

"He's so different now," Ron thought aloud.

"How so?" Esme wanted to know.

Hermione nervously brushed her hair back with antsy fingers. "He's… He looks peaceful. Happy. Young. It's good," she said quietly. "He's seen too much sadness, felt too much pain. He died for us. He _needs_ to live now, even if it's a life he hadn't dreamt of before. I…. We're glad you were the ones who found him, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. Believe me when I tell you that you are making him happier than he had been in a long, long time."

Esme felt a sad smile draw her lips up. "Now, don't say things like that," she clucked. "He is ecstatic at this moment. He's happy because of you as well."

Ron smiled at Hermione who was trying to dry her eyes as discreetly as possible. "It's going to be tough keeping this secret," he half-joked. "I'm not very good at it and… well, this is _huge_. My family will kill me when they find out."

"They are very fond of him?"

"Many people are fond of him," Ron snorted. "Perils of being Harry Potter."

Carlisle's eyes darted towards the closed door of his office. "There is… something that we haven't mentioned. About us," he said deliberately. Hermione and Ron frowned and then nodded at him to continue. Carlisle smiled to reassure them. "It's just that each of us are unique," he explained. "And each of us have special talents. There are two in particular whose talents don't make room for much privacy."

Outside the office, Edward and Alice grimaced.

"Talents?" Hermione echoed.

"Edward can read minds and Alice can see the future…"

"Oh!"

"I believe they have some questions for you," Esme said. "Would you mind obliging them?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other in astonishment before shaking their heads nervously. Carlisle let the two of them in and gave them a stern look of disapproval. They had the sense to appear sheepish. Esme winked good-naturedly at her children before leaving the study with her husband.

Alice bowed her head in a mock curtsey and said, "Sorry for eavesdropping."

"I'm… sure it can't be helped," Hermione responded tactfully.

Alice smiled at her. "You see, I can look into the future but I can't see the past," she murmured. "In Harry's case, that's a bit troublesome. I'm not able to see his future clearly. But I do see yours. So, by proxy, I suppose I see his. None of it makes sense because I have no context."

"Context?" Hermione looked bemused.

"Magic?"

"Ah, yes."

"He knows magic?"

"Well… Debatably." Hermione gestured for the Cullens to sit down on the chairs while she and her fiancé took the sofa. "If he can't remember the things he has learned, he wouldn't be able to perform magic. He also doesn't have his wand, which is another problem. But yes, he's able to do magic. It's in his blood, just as it is in mine."

"Who is he?" Edward asked.

Ron and Hermione looked at him wryly. "He is… a very important person. Akin to royalty."

"So how come you couldn't find him?"

"We don't know."

Edward glanced away but irritation was plain on his face. Alice took over the stalled conversation. "If he goes home with you, he won't be safe," she noted.

"That is the trouble," Hermione said distantly. "You see, he disappeared after getting into a rather dangerous situation that landed him in the hospital. Being Harry is _very_ difficult. He has many friends and almost as many enemies. Not by his choice, of course. He didn't choose this. This was his parents' war. They died for him. So it became his war. He's the Chosen One."

"And I'm guessing the war wasn't kind to him."

"It wasn't. We lost so many." Hermione and Ron were somber. "Family, friends. Just… devastation. But Harry was their hope. They had blind faith, I suppose. Disappointing them wasn't an option. He was willing to sacrifice himself because that granted us safety from the Dark Army. He faced Death. And he lived long enough to destroy the Dark Lord. When he disappeared, there was near chaos. Riots and the like on the street. But how much money could the government justify spending in an attempt to find just one boy?"

"I see…"

"It's not fair," Hermione spat out thickly. "He's given so much and he doesn't remember? All that pain and he doesn't know why or how. He doesn't remember anything… It's not fair."

"Or maybe it's a blessing that he's forgotten," Edward murmured.

They were silent for a long while. Alice and Edward had heard and seen enough for now. They now knew more about Harry than he did.

* * *

**A/N: **Uh oh...


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning...

"What happened to my parents?"

"They were killed."

"Wh-what? _Why_? What?"

"They were killed by a man named Tom Riddle. You were a year old when… he tried to kill you too, but he couldn't. You got your scar on your forehead that night."

"He… he killed them?"

"I'm sorry, Harry…"

He needed a moment to calm down his suddenly pattering heart. He felt panicked for some reason. He took a few deep breaths. "And then?" he asked quietly

"You lived with your mother's sister."

He appeared troubled. "Where is she?" he asked.

"Well, you never had a good relationship with her and her family," Hermione admitted. "But she was your only family and you had to be sent to live with her. Once you became an adult, you severed your ties with them. It was mutual."

Harry couldn't imagine himself doing anything like that. He looked up when Carlisle entered the room. He couldn't imagine abandoning family like that just because of troubled water under the bridge. He responded to Carlisle's comforting smile with a vague smile of his own. Then he held up his right hand in front of him. "Do you know what this is?" he asked his friends while pointing at his one peculiar scar.

Ron winced at the pale words etched into skin while Hermione's complexion started to ashen. Carlisle read both expressions closely, realizing that the cause for that scar was more complicated than he had initially assumed. He hadn't even assumed magic, of course.

"Does it bother you, Harry?" Hermione asked. She rested her fingers atop the scar to hide it. "Does it hurt?"

"No," Harry murmured. He just wanted to know why he had done it to himself. He just wanted to know so much. "Why would I do that? That's my writing."

Ron absently ruffled Harry's hair to pull him out of his worried reverie. "It's alright, mate. We'll explain that and other scars," he promised Harry. "I just want you to know that you didn't have a choice with any of those. It wasn't your choice."

Harry believed Ron's words out of necessity. He nodded and swallowed hard. It wasn't his fault.

Hermione cleared her throat and started where she had left off. "When you turned eleven, you were accepted to a boarding school. And that's where we met, on the first day in the train," she recalled. "You two didn't like me at first."

"I'm sure I liked you right away, Hermione," Harry argued. "I don't see _any_ reason not to like you."

"Oh, you don't remember those first few months," Ron smirked. "She was pain, I tell you. She'd read all her textbooks days before school started and, even worse, she _remembered_ everything she read. She's too smart for her own good, believe me."

"Being smart is no reason not to like a person," Harry declared with a wise nod. "Edward is _really_ smart, but I still like him."

"Moving on," Hermione interjected after throwing a dirty look Ron's way. "While you two got into trouble, I was the one with my head screwed on right, trying to get you out of messes."

"Can't deny that," Ron added.

"And when did I disappear?"

Hermione glanced at Ron as she fidgeted in her seat. "You had been in an accident. You were very badly hurt and had to be in the hospital for months. That was two years ago. One morning you were gone," she answered. "And we searched for so long. We knew you hadn't run away. You would never do something like that."

Harry mulled it over. "How did I get hurt? What accident?"

"You didn't wake up, Harry," Ron explained. "Not for many months. You had hit your head and you wouldn't wake up for so long. The doctors tried everything. They even told us that we had to expect some brain damage in you when you woke up. But before you could, you were gone. And found here, I guess."

"Yeah…" Harry mumbled. "In the park. Mr. Plum found me. He drove me to the hospital."

"Were you hurt? Do you remember being hurt?"

"I wasn't. I was just… well, I couldn't remember anything, I guess. But I wasn't hurt. Not like you said. Dr. Cullen said I slept for five weeks and then I was suddenly awake. But I couldn't remember anything."

Hermione nodded pensively. "I'm glad you got better," she said. "We aren't sure what happened. And since you can't remember anything, I suppose you won't be able to tell us either."

"I hate this," Harry grumbled.

Hermione shook her head and sat up straighter. This wasn't the time to be sad. This was the time to fill the holes in Harry's memory. "Now… Do you want to tell me about the Cullens?"

Harry beamed in response. "Yeah!" He set off to explain everything he could as fast as he could. He wanted his friends to know that the Cullens were great and who everyone was. He recounted the first day he came to the house and how terrified he was. He told them about his first day at school and how terrified he was _then_. He assured them of his progress. His grades were better and he was able to understand concepts in school that had boggled him a year ago. "Gosh, wait until my friends hear how old I _really_ am," he chuckled. "They'll make fun of me for days." He trailed off and looked down at his fingers that were tangled together from residual tension. "Why can't I tell them?"

Ron smiled wryly when he heard the quiet question. "What are you going to tell them?" he wanted to know.

"About you two. About how you found me. They'd want to know."

Hermione rested a hand on Harry's shoulder and gave him a quick squeeze. "Could you wait just a week?" she asked. "We have so much more to tell you. Don't you want to tell them the whole story instead of just a bit of it?" She was talking to him like she would speak with a child. He didn't particularly mind. Most people talked to him that way. At least that was better than not understanding what they were talking about in the first place. He simply nodded and let the subject die. He could wait a week. If there was anything he had learnt from his experiences, it was patience.

After lunch, Ron and Hermione talked with Carlisle and Esme about matters regarding their friend's health, both physical and mental. Harry didn't feel like listening to them speak about him that way, so he wandered upstairs and into Edward's room. He hadn't met with Edward in a day. That had never happened before. He sat down on the soft rug with his back to the couch and cracked open his book while soft music filtered through the hidden speakers. He had to get things straight in his head and he knew Edward would help him out. He just needed to wait until the younger Cullens came back home from wherever they were.

He must have dozed off because when he woke up, the door was partly open. He picked himself up and wiped the side of his mouth as he swept his eyes across the room. He paused when he found Edward standing by the window, looking out. "Hey," he mumbled sleepily.

Edward glanced back at him. "Alright?" he asked.

"Mhm. Fell asleep."

"I see that."

Harry rubbed his heavy eyes and yawned. "I could hardly sleep a wink last night. I was so excited." He frowned when he realized that he had lost his spot in his book because he had dropped it on its side when he took that little nap. "Where did you guys go? You were probably bored without me, right?"

Edward smiled. "Mhm."

"I thought so." Harry finally figured that he was a lot more comfortable lying down again, so he did just that and stared up at the ceiling. "What do you think of them, Edward? They're nice, aren't they?"

"Genuinely," Edward said with a sincere nod. "Some of the most genuine people I have met, in fact. They care about you."

"I know. I can tell." Harry closed his eyes. "But there's so much that they aren't telling me. Very important things."

"How do you figure?"

"They take too long to answer my questions. Like they're choosing their words carefully."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Harry looked up at Edward in confusion.

"Is it a bad thing to tell you slowly instead of revealing everything at once?" Edward elaborated. "It's easier to digest, isn't it?"

"I suppose."

Edward walked over to Harry and sat on the couch. How could he ever have thought of Harry as being fragile? This man was the most powerful wizard alive. He wore battle scars to prove it, even if he didn't know it. He had seen so much suffering and death. That wasn't a fragile man. He's an indestructible man. The strongest. Kindest… "I think you should go back."

Harry didn't move.

Edward reached down to ruffle his hair. "Alright?"

"No."

"I know they haven't told you this, but… there are a lot of people waiting for you in England. People who have known you all your life. People who have cried because they couldn't find you. You need to go back for them, right?"

Harry squeezed his eyes shut.

"Imagine if I disappeared for years and you couldn't find me," Edward murmured. "Imagine how you'd feel."

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere."

"Then I'm going nowhere too."

Edward slipped out of the sofa and sat down to the floor beside Harry. "You've known us for two years," he said. "And these people have known you for twenty."

"I've known you all my life." Harry turned onto his side to look at Edward. "I'll be sad to leave you. You'll be sad if I go. So I'll stay."

"That's not how it works."

"It is. It's how it works for me."

"Go home."

"This _is_ my home."

That night, the younger Cullens were out hunting. Winter was the worst when it came to food because their prey most often hibernated, which left them to sniff out well-hidden dens and burrows. They traveled out of Forks and deeper into the forest for their food so as not to draw suspicion by leaving dead animals behind.

Emmett decided to have an impromptu competition with Jasper. Alice was already in her own world and she had wandered off a long while ago. That left Edward to look at Rosalie warily. "Don't start," he mumbled.

"Why not?" she asked. Her brow arched up in derision. "I've got every right to start with you. You're practically running him out of here. Why?"

"He needs to go back, Rose. He doesn't belong here."

"But he _does_," Rosalie said adamantly. "He belongs right here with us. I know there's something you aren't telling me and I _know_ it's something bad. So I want him to stay here if something bad is waiting for him back there."

"I thought you would be more than happy to get rid of him," Edward muttered under his breath.

She flinched. "Don't you dare-"

"His _life_ is in London," Edward interjected. "He has family and friends. He's not _ours_, Rose. Why don't you just-Why can't you understand that? He's not… He was never ours, okay?"

Rosalie was troubled by his outburst. She reached out to clutch his hand. "Edward, I-"

"Sorry," he mumbled, slipping away from her grip. "I'm going this way." He blurred before she could speak, disappearing into the dark woods silently.

* * *

The days had flown by with Ron and Hermione sidestepping a lot of Harry's questions, steering the conversation in innocent directions, and glossing over a whole lot of important details. But Harry wasn't about to miss this particular tidbit of information. His parents had been killed by a man named Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle was a _very_ bad man. He started a war in Europe, which confused Harry because he hadn't even heard about this from _anyone_, and then, when the man died, the war was over. Many of Harry's friends from boarding school fought in the war and most of his scars were from those years. It sounded _very_ odd to him.

Especially since there was no mention of any of this on any search engines on the internet.

"See?" he said as he pointed to his laptop screen. "Nothing spectacular happened at all. I can't find _any_ news on war."

Ron was trying _very_ hard not to ogle the machine sitting on the tabletop while Hermione was trying her darnedest to come up with a suitable excuse.

"But do you see these?" she asked while pointing to the 'significant events' section. "Bridges collapsing, buildings exploding, all of that? That's from the war."

"No, it isn't," Harry frowned. He clicked on the link. "See? It says the structures weren't sound… Whatever that means. Nothing about a war at all." He huffed. "What's that all about?"

"Do you _really_ think that _all_ those buildings were structurally unsound?" Hermione asked deliberately.

Harry looked back at her with uncertainty. "Um…" Was she talking about a conspiracy theory? Now _she_ was starting to sound like a loon.

"The government didn't want to panic the public. Details weren't released. But trust me when I tell you that the war was a _very_ important part of our lives." Hermione felt a little better knowing that she was at least telling the truth about _that_. "All you need to know for now is that the war ended with Tom Riddle's death. That was a year before you got hurt."

"This… accident," Harry said delicately. "It wasn't really an accident, was it?"

Hermione should have known that she couldn't hide such things from him. He was somehow more perceptive than before. "No."

"Someone hurt me on purpose, right? Like Tom Riddle when I was a kid? Was it Tom Riddle? He's dead, isn't he? You said he-"

"It wasn't him," Hermione interjected so Harry wouldn't keep rambling. "We don't know who it was," she confessed. "Riddle did have followers who felt the same way he did when it came to you. He has followers who are willing to commit crime even after his death. That is what makes him such a powerful figure, Harry. He has a hold on the mind of his followers. And we believe that it was that following that tried to hurt you."

"They wanted to kill me?"

"You see… When Riddle failed to kill you all those years ago, he took it as a personal insult."

"Understandably," Harry mumbled under his breath.

Hermione looked up at him sharply.

He seemed to sense it. "Uh, I mean, it's… I just… _I_ would feel bitter too," he stammered. "That's all I meant."

"Bitter enough to kill anyone who stood between him and you?"

Harry blinked at her. "What do you mean?"

She quickly shook her head and bit her tongue. "Sorry," she apologized. "Maybe that's enough for today. Hmm?"

"O-okay…"


	11. Chapter 11

_He found himself getting less and less sleep every night as his mind wandered and nightmares plagued his sleep. _

* * *

"Harry."

He gasped awake and threw his arms out, catching nothing but air. It took him several panicked moments to realize where he was. He whipped his head to the side to gawk at Rosalie who was kneeling by his bed. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He wasn't sure. "I… I'm… I don't know," he croaked. He closed his eyes and swallowed to wet his parched throat. "I can't remember."

"Sleep, okay?" she whispered. She gently pushed him back onto the pillows and pulled the blankets over his shoulders, tucking him in. "Don't think of anything. Just sleep."

Harry turned towards Rosalie and closed his eyes obediently. He flinched when he felt a cold touch against his damp cheeks but he didn't open his eyes. It wasn't long before he fell back into his dreams.

* * *

_As the days went by slowly, the knot in his stomach grew and grew._

* * *

"I don't like this book," he said. He tossed the novel across the couch irritably.

Edward looked up at him with equal annoyance. He had been listening to Harry's complaining thoughts for over an hour now and it was making him irritable too. "Why?"

"I just don't. It doesn't make any sense."

"Which parts?"

Hermione had bought Harry a _very_ strange book. When he had first started reading it, he had wondered whether she was making fun of his intellect. The book was filled with mentions of dragons and ghosts and mermaids and talking giants. "_None_ of it," he snapped. "None of it makes any sense. I'm not a child! I don't want to read made-up stuff."

Edward flipped to a random page in the discarded book. Made-up stuff, indeed…

"I don't have time to fill my head with this nonsense," Harry muttered.

"And you've got time to read crime fiction?" Edward drawled.

"At least that's _real_."

Edward was tempted to say that the things in the book were true as well. Hermione had brought it over from her world. It was an embellished version of events from the past. True events. "You think this is a fantasy?" he murmured.

"I hate fantasy." Harry was feeling unusually angry. "I hate that it's not real. I've got so much to learn and I should be focusing on things that are real. I don't have time for this."

"You'll make Hermione sad."

He snapped his teeth shut and almost immediately calmed down, most likely from sheer guilt. "Oh…"

"Read it, Harry. Finish it. _Then_ you can complain to her. She will listen," Edward assured him.

"I know." Harry took the book back begrudgingly. "I know that."

* * *

_It was suddenly so hard to keep being happy… His doubts were too overwhelming._

* * *

Angela squealed and threw her arms around Harry while Mike and Ashley gaped at him in disbelief. Eric and Bella were laughing with delight. "Oh my goodness, Harry!" Angela exclaimed. "Oh my goodness!"

"I know," Harry beamed. He was glad that he could stop hiding the news from his friends. "Isn't it awesome?"

It had been a week since he was found. In that time, New Year's Day had gone by and school had started again. Ron and Hermione had to go back to work, but they promised to come back every weekend. It confused him a little because he had looked up ticket prices for flying from London to Washington and it wasn't cheap by any means. But he had bigger things to worry about. For now he was just glad that the two of them were willing to take time out of their schedule to 'babysit' him.

"How did they find you?" Ashley asked incredulously.

"_They_ didn't. Carlisle and Esme were on vacation and they found Hermione. Hermione's one of my best friends from before," Harry explained. "She's here with her fiancé. They've been filling me in on everything."

"So what happened?" Eric urged.

"Ah… Well… No one knows," Harry said sheepishly, prompting his friends to frown at him. "I guess they aren't really filling me in on _everything_," he clarified. "But it turns out I got into a rough spot back in London and I banged my head pretty good. Carlisle says that's why I have amnesia. Apparently I was in a coma for months before I showed up here?"

Mike blinked at him. "What? You jetted over here while you were in a coma? How does that work?"

"Like I said, no one knows." Harry shrugged. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you guys know now."

"So when are you going back?"

He shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I don't know yet. I don't really have family. Just friends," he said. "And Hermione says there's no rush. I think they want to make sure I can handle it and all, you know. Not have another meltdown."

"Wouldn't want that," Eric murmured with an understanding nod. "That's smart of them."

"So what were you like before?" Bella inquired. "Did they say that you were the same?"

Harry couldn't be sure. Ron and Hermione told him a _lot_ of things. "They don't seem _surprised_ by me, so… yeah? I think I'm the same," he faltered. "Or maybe they're being polite and secretly think I'm an idiot. I can't tell."

Angela giggled as she swatted him over the head. "Yeah, right. They're probably too shocked by how great you're doing, huh?" she guessed correctly. "Do we get to meet these 'best friends' of yours?"

"If they're up for it, yeah." Harry scuffed his shoe against the ground. "And um… something else," he added.

"What?"

"I'm turning twenty-one in July."

There was stunned silence following that quiet confession.

Then the group started cackling at Harry's embarrassment. He was nearly three years older than them and yet he behaved like a freshman most of the time. At least Bella was polite enough to stop when she saw his demeanor. "Aw, it's alright, Harry," she said as she patted his arm. "You're still eighteen in our books, okay?"

"No, he isn't!" Mike crowed. "He's _twenty-one_."

"Not yet," Harry interjected, but his voice went unheard amidst all the laughter.

* * *

_They were hiding too many things. They were saying too many half-truths. They weren't telling him enough. Or maybe he wanted to know too much._

* * *

Harry leaned against the countertop and kept his eyes on the pot of stir-fry Esme was preparing on the stove. "Sometimes I feel like I'm not fully grasping the things they say," he confided quietly.

"It's hardly fair for any of us to expect you to understand and remember all this. You have only known them for a handful of days," she reasoned. "Considering the circumstances, I think you are doing splendidly. Rehabilitation is never easy, Harry. It can often take years. But you're such a fast learner that… Carlisle believes you will be able to do this. I believe so too."

"You have too much faith in me," Harry sighed. "_I_ don't think I can do this. At least not this quickly."

"Then ask them to slow down."

"But see, that's… I don't _want_ them to slow down. I want _me_ to speed up. How can I do that?"

"What happens when you try to speed up?" Esme asked after putting down the spoon and turning to face him.

"I get tired," Harry said. "I get headaches and I can't sleep because I'm thinking too hard. Sometimes I forget if I'm dreaming or not. I don't like it. What should I do?"

"Think of this as just another story," she suggested. "You love stories, so think of this as just another story. Nothing they say can hurt you because it's already happened. Isn't that great?"

He tilted his head at her and appeared distant. "Oh, yeah… It's already happened…"

"And there is nothing you can do to change the past. All you can do is change the future. Now doesn't that cut the load in half?"

"It does…"

"There you go."

"You're so smart, Esme."

"Why, thank you." She winked at him good-naturedly.

* * *

_He knew something was amiss. He could tell by the looks on their faces when he asked the wrong questions._

* * *

"How am I supposed to understand if all you do is _lie_?" he all but shouted in sheer exasperation. He was on his feet and seething without care for the fact that Hermione and Ron appeared aghast. "It's _one simple question_! How did Riddle die? That's all I want to know. How did the person who _murdered_ my parents _die_?"

He was met with no answer.

But that was answer enough.

"Oh God," he exhaled as he turned away and pressed a hand to his mouth. "Oh God…" His vision flickered dangerously. This explained their reluctant answers. This explained their hooded glances. "Oh my God…"

He opened his teary eyes when he felt a touch against his shoulder. He looked up at Ron as he trembled. Ron had never appeared so grave. "There is so much you don't know, Harry," he said quietly. "There is so much I wish I could show you because talking just isn't fast enough. There is so much I want to say to you, but I know you wouldn't understand. I want you try to understand _this_, though. Tom Riddle killed your parents. He killed my brother. He killed our friends. He destroyed so many lives. And, even then, you refused to kill him. You _couldn't_ kill him. If I had been in your position, I would have ripped him apart ten times over without hesitation. But you gave him the choice. You asked him to feel remorse. We were there. We were all there. You wanted to understand. You wanted to know why. You showed mercy, even after you had him in the palm of your hand. And he chose to die by _his own hand_." Ron squeezed Harry's shoulder. "Hey…"

Harry shook his head as he screwed his eyes shut. "I don't understand," he sobbed. Ron tsked and pulled him close, letting him cry quietly. "I don't understand what you're saying," he kept repeating.

* * *

_He realized that it wasn't easy to run away from his past, even if it was long gone._

* * *

"I've done something bad, Edward."

Harry was sitting on a snowy tree stump with his hands cradling his heavy head. He didn't know what he was feeling anymore. Everything was a mess. Nothing made sense. All because he…

He squeezed his eyes shut. He had never felt this way before.

Edward crouched in front of Harry. "What did you do?" he asked.

"You'd hate me."

"I won't."

"You would. I hate myself."

"Tell me, Harry."

"No." Harry shook his head. "I can't. I don't-I didn't-What should I do? What am I supposed to do?" He tucked his chin tighter against his chest.

"I won't know what you're supposed to do unless you tell me what's bothering you."

"Esme said it wouldn't matter. But she doesn't know what I did-"

"What did you do?" Edward repeated slowly and firmly while grabbing Harry's wrists and pulling them down. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." Harry wrenched his hands out of Edward's grip and lurched up. "It's fine. Just… go." He didn't look back as he walked down the path with his head down.

Edward knew, of course. Tom Riddle died and Harry was the reason. Apparently it didn't matter to him that Riddle had killed his parents. Just the thought of taking a life was driving him mad. He couldn't even say it out loud. Now he was afraid to speak about it to anyone. Edward exhaled tiredly. What was he supposed to do? Harry didn't want him to know. But he knew. He knew exactly what was wrong…

* * *

_His mind kept wandering when he was left alone. Who was he?_

* * *

"How are the headaches?"

"It's fine," Harry lied as he studiously did his homework.

Carlisle looked down at his patient for a long while. Harry was getting worse. He hardly slept at night, he was withdrawing into himself, he hardly focused on anything, he barely ate, and now he wasn't even speaking with Carlisle about his symptoms, which was a first. He was changing in front of the doctor's eyes.

Carlisle ruffled Harry's hair. "Maybe you should take a break for a bit," he suggested.

Harry slapped his hand away.

Carlisle pulled back swiftly. "Sorry," he murmured. It had been a long while since he felt this emotion – distress. He dropped his hand to his side. "Just don't strain yourself, okay?" He wasn't expecting an answer. Maybe privacy was all Harry needed. Time and space was necessary, not constant worrying or prying. Besides, there was no need for him to feel hurt because of the way Harry was behaving. That was an entirely human way to thinking.

He turned to leave.

But he stilled when he heard Harry swear and the chair scrape against the floor with urgency. When he moved to face the young man standing by the desk, he felt the hurt wipe away.

"Carlisle, I didn't mean… I was…"

Harry trailed off incoherently as he swayed. It took Carlisle a moment to understand what was happening to his patient. By then his eyes had rolled to the back of his head. Carlisle jerked forward and caught him before he could hit his head on the table.


	12. Chapter 12

The street was grey and cracked, and it blended into the dreary, nondescript buildings that lined either side of it. He was alone and he could hear his own footsteps echoing against the rubble. He looked down after taking a measured breath. He smelt smoke and dust. He looked up at the restless sky darkened with thick clouds. It was damp as well. He wiped the sweat off the back of his neck. Alone. Everything was still and he was alone. He closed his eyes when he felt rain strike his cheeks. It was welcome. Rain was always welcome. He stood there in the middle of the street with his head turned up towards the droplets of water. He wanted clarity now. No more darkness. No more of this.

"Harry…"

He was tired of the lies.

"I know."

He wished he could remember. He wished he could remember all the faceless, voiceless people who were unhappy with him. He wished he could say something to them.

"I know…"

He just wished he could remember.

"But you can't."

But he can't.

"And you may never be able to remember."

His throat closed up at the thought of that. What if he never remembered? What if he never fully understood who he was? What if he just disappeared again?

"Then no more lies. If you're scared, then no more lies."

He was so tired. People are dead. He was so cold. Everyone's dead. No more lies. Everyone who had come between him and Riddle were dead. No more lies. No more-

"No more."

So tired…

A cold breeze finally blew against his cheek, chilling him. He welcomed that too. He tilted his head to the side, feeling the wind against his face.

"Are you listening?"

Always listening.

"Don't be scared."

Always scared.

"Open your eyes?"

Harry fluttered his eyes open and stared up at Edward. He was in his bedroom, not in an abandoned street. He was feeling uncomfortably hot, not comfortingly cold. He was feeling as lost as ever, though. That hadn't changed. "Hey… How are you?" Edward whispered.

How was he? What a strange question. "I heard you," he slurred feverishly. "You… I heard you in my head. You were in my head. I was in your… head. I don't know."

Edward swept his hand across Harry's sweaty forehead before applying the cold rag again. "You've been sick, Harry."

"I heard you," Harry insisted. He pulled his heavy arm out from under the blankets and reached out to grab Edward's sleeve. "I heard you. It was nice."

Edward paused for a second. "Was it?" he asked mildly.

"It was. It was nice to hear you… Thank you." Harry shut his eyes in exhaustion.

Edward hesitated as he watched Harry sink deeper into the pillow. And, before he could lose his nerve, he leaned in as he had just a minute ago so his lips were pressed close to Harry's ear. Harry tilted his head to the side and sighed. "The truth, Harry?" Edward murmured.

"Hmm."

"Truth is… I… I… I'm…"

Don't say it if you don't want to say it.

"I'm a vampire."

Harry went limp.

Edward pulled back in fright. He couldn't hear Harry's thoughts any longer. The stillness was petrifying. His insides twisted as fear robbed him of his senses in an instant. He sprang forward and cupped Harry's cheeks in his trembling hands.

Harry gasped awake.

He shoved Edward back as hard as he could before scrambling away. He ended up tumbling to the floor just as he started screaming bloody murder.

The rest of the household burst into his room at that exact moment, having heard Edward's shaky confession.

Harry leapt up to his feet, tripping over them in his hurry to get his back to the wall. "YOU-Y-YOU-YOU-V-VAMPIRE!" he shrieked. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!" He jabbed an accusatory finger at them. "YOU _LIARS_! YOU'RE _VAMPIRES_! I _KNEW_ IT!"

The stunned silence that followed was somehow more deafening that Harry's imputation.

Carlisle was the first to snap out of his shock. "Harry, you need to get back in bed," he said deliberately.

"NO!" Harry held his arms out defensively. "GO AWAY! GO AWAY! YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO KILL ME!"

"Kill you?" Alice exclaimed. An astonished giggle followed her words.

"I'LL PUNCH YOU IN THE _FACE, _ALICE! I CAN DO THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE A _VAMPIRE_. YOU'RE NOT EVEN A _GIRL_. I'LL PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE!"

Once Carlisle realized that Harry's hysteria was somewhat… unfounded, he stepped forward and took hold of the young man's flailing arms gently. "We won't hurt you," he maintained. "I would never lie to you, would I?"

"LET ME GO! YOU CAN'T KILL ME!"

"We won't," Carlisle said as he tugged Harry towards the bed. "Why would we kill you?"

"I'm food, aren't I?" Harry struggled against Carlisle's annoyingly unshakable grip. "You're just plumping me up, aren't you?"

Now Emmett started laughing along with Alice.

"I _knew_ it." Harry turned his head this way and that when Carlisle tried to peer into his eyes for signs of dilation. "I _knew_ you guys were vampires. I _knew_ it."

"What else did you know?" Carlisle murmured once he had managed to immobilize Harry enough to examine his pupils.

"I _knew_ you were vampires," Harry insisted. "You don't eat or sleep or go to the beach with me or anything. You don't do anything. I knew it." When Carlisle tugged at his chin, he reflexively opened his mouth and went, "Aaah."

"You're very observant," the doctor praised while squinting to look for swelling inside Harry's throat. "Quite observant. So smart."

"Nguhuh," Harry nodded furiously.

Carlisle patted Harry's cheek to make him close his mouth. "Sleep some more now, okay?" he said. "You've had enough excitement for the day. You'll never get better at this rate."

"I'm sorry I was mean earlier," Harry rushed. "You were just being nice and I was so mean to you. I'm-"

"It's alright, Harry," Carlisle interjected to assure him. "When I want an apology, I will ask for it."

"You're the nicest vampire," Harry added. "Everyone else is mean but you're the nicest." He threw a dirty glare at the rest of the coven who quickly hid their bewildered bemusement.

Carlisle, to his credit, didn't laugh. He tucked Harry into bed instead. "That's the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me," he divulged. Harry smiled smugly as his tired lids fell shut. "Have better dreams," Carlisle whispered before pressing a fleeting kiss on his patient's forehead.

Edward sank into the chair and stared at Harry in wonder. That was the most bizarre reaction he had ever witnessed.

It took him a whole minute to realize that everyone was now looking at him. He didn't have the nerve to look back at them. "Sorry," he mumbled sheepishly instead.

Esme and Rosalie simply sighed in defeat while the rest of his siblings rolled their eyes. Carlisle raised a brow at his son, causing him to sink even lower into the chair. But thankfully they let him be without saying a word, closing the door behind them.

Harry kicked at his sheets in his sleep and flipped over onto his stomach angrily. His arm flopped off the edge of the bed. Edward slid his hand over Harry's and held it, feeling its warmth and softness. He had no more secrets, nothing to hide from Harry. He smiled at the thought. Harry accepted him…

* * *

Edward was pulled out of his novel when he heard Harry's heartbeat quickening and his muddled thoughts getting just a bit clearer, indicating his awakening. He glanced up over the top of the book just in time to see Harry drop his lids and pretend to be asleep. He pulled the book closer to his face, resting it against his nose so Harry wouldn't see his grin. This time he saw Harry crack his eyes open experimentally. Then all he heard was 'vampire, vampire, vampire' as the young man rolled out the other side of the bed and scurried off to the bathroom without so much as turning his way.

The Cullens, now gathered in the living room and waiting for Harry's grand entrance, easily overlooked the fact that the boy had spent nearly two hours in the bathroom with the water running. It was the least they could do.

Harry took his own sweet time walking down the stairs and towards the living room. He was prolonging the inevitable, unfortunately.

He stopped by the entryway, his hands twisting the hem of his shirt as he stood uncomfortably without knowing where to look.

As he had stood under the showerhead for over an hour before this, he had been trying to figure out whether he had dreamt it all. He _had_ to have dreamt it all… How else could this be possible?

Now that he was in front of the Cullens, he doubted his own sanity. Why wasn't he scared? How could he be so calm? It had to have been a dream.

"Feeling better, sweetheart?" Esme asked.

Harry finally lifted his head and took a breath. "Yeah, see… I, um… had this weird dream last night," he said. He then flicked his eyes between each person in the room, trying to decipher their expressions. Alice looked cheery as ever. Rosalie and Jasper met Harry's scrutinizing gaze with their own. Emmett and Edward seemed to be trying _very_ hard to keep a straight face. And Carlisle was nodding slowly. "Oh man," Harry breathed. "What is going on?"

The doorbell rang in response, causing him to jump in fright. Ron and Hermione were here. "Oh no," he muttered as he whipped his eyes towards the door. Esme had to walk past Harry, but he stopped her anxiously. "Don't."

She tried to reassure him with a smile. "I'm just getting the door, Harry."

He gulped. "I-I'll get it," he stuttered before hurrying to the foyer.

Ron and Hermione were a bit startled when the door opened abruptly and Harry poked his head out. "Hey," they greeted with narrowed eyes. "Something wrong?"

Harry had no idea what to do. "N-no," he lied. "Just give us a second, okay?"

"Huh?"

"One second." He shut the door firmly and locked it for good measure.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other in astonishment. That was weird.

Harry took a breath to calm himself down before venturing into the living room again. He colored brightly when he saw identical smiles on the Cullens. It's like they knew what he was thinking… "So, this _dream_," he said after clearing his throat. "It was really strange."

"Of course," Carlisle murmured.

"It's a bit like a horror film, actually."

"Right."

"Like… monsters and stuff." Harry squinted at them.

Rosalie and Alice frowned back in offense while the rest of them smiled even wider. "Go on," Carlisle urged.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is," Harry continued while bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck, "please don't kill my friends…"

"Ah, yes."

"Or me, for that matter."

Carlisle bowed his head in acknowledgement. "As you wish, Harry."

"I'm not kidding," Harry added pointedly. "You aren't allowed to kill us. Or anyone. You aren't allowed to kill us or anyone." He paused and pursed his lips. "Actually, what _do_ you kill?"

"Animals," Carlisle said. "Never humans."

"You aren't lying to me, are you? You lot have been doing a whole load of that."

"Honestly, Harry. We refrain from taking human life."

He shook his head in defeat. "Wow."

Carlisle gestured to the door. "Perhaps you should let your friends in."

"Yeah…" Harry swept a stern glare at everyone one last time before taking measured steps to the front door and pulling it open. Ron and Hermione were staring at him expectantly. "Sorry," he apologized before letting them in.

"Feeling better now, mate?" Ron asked as he thumped Harry's back good-naturedly.

"Yeah. A bit."

"That's good," Hermione said as she unwound her scarf and pulled off her gloves. "We were worried."

"Listen," Harry interrupted quickly. "Maybe we should talk s-"

He jolted forward when he felt a touch against the small of his back. He jerked around with his fists swinging, coming into contact with Edward's arm. "Ow!" he exclaimed as he clutched his sore hand close to his chest. "What was _that_?"

"He knows," Edward told Ron and Hermione. He shrugged apologetically when their eyes widened.

"Huh? Knows what?" Harry blurted out. He looked from Edward to Ron to Hermione and back to Edward. "Knows what? I know what? What do I know?"

"About us being vampires," Edward said while arching a brow at Harry. "You know, right?"

Harry's jaw dropped and he gawked at Ron and Hermione unblinkingly. They appeared a bit contrite, but mostly shocked. Harry caught the contrite part rather quickly. "Oh my goodness!" he gasped. "You're vampires _too_?"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Erm, so funny story... I don't think some of you read Chapter 11 because it was posted right before Chapter 12. You didn't miss much if you did that, but some parts of Chapter 12 won't have made sense if you didn't read Chapter 11 (I'm going by view counts and Ch 11 has about 300 less views than Ch 12. Oops. Sorry about that). Sometimes I post chapters in quick succession so you might have to go hunting for the last chapter you remember and then read from there, heh heh. ^_^/

On with the fic!

* * *

"Ah, no!" Ron burst out. "No, no, no. W-we aren't vampires. Er… the Cullens might be, though."

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT?"

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed deeply before facing her friend again. "Look, Harry. We aren't _regular_ people exactly," she started to say. "The Cullens aren't regular people either. I'm sure you've noticed that."

"I'm regular!" Harry proclaimed. "I'm all _sorts_ of regular. I eat food and I don't drink blood and I like to sleep and I go to school and I get bad grades and _all _that. I'm as regular as _ever_! _You're_ the loony ones!"

"Right, yes. We _are_ a bit loony," Hermione conceded. "We were trying _very_ hard to ease you into this, Harry. You must try to understand that."

"Oh no. I don't want to understand anymore." Harry clapped his hands to his eyes. "I refuse to understand anything anymore. I'm fine with being me. You can go away."

"You're a wizard, Harry."

"Oh boy." He spun around on his heel and blindly walked away from the conversation.

Ron pulled him back before he could run into the pillar. "Here. Hold this." He flicked his wand out and thrust it into Harry's hand.

White sparks shot out the tip of the wand as soon as Harry's fingers wrapped around the hilt. Just for that moment, Harry felt euphorically powerful.

He dropped the wand and staggered back as he tried to comprehend the enormity of the situation before him. He couldn't form coherent thoughts or words, not even when he walked into Emmett's hulking body. He just stood there staring at Ron and Hermione as though they were aliens from another planet who had landed in the foyer to abduct him.

"It's magic, Harry," Hermione said slowly. "You have magic in you. You're not regular. In fact, you are _very_ abnormal. Just like Ron and me. We can do magic. Everything we've told you so far has been true, except we pulled out all the parts with magic in it. Once you add magic to our stories, it makes sense, doesn't it?"

"How about that?" Emmett boomed. He picked Harry up by the collar of his shirt and dangled him in the air. "Pretty neat, eh?"

"Put me down!" Harry fought to get to the ground. "Rosalie! Tell him to put me down! Now!"

"Em," Rosalie scolded.

Emmett obliged begrudgingly. Harry staggered into the railing of the stairs and righted himself. He had never realized how strong Emmett actually was. He had never realized a lot of things, in fact. "You have to start over," he breathed. "From the beginning. I want to know _everything_."

The day was tumultuous and each conversation was punctuated with hesitation. There was only so much Harry could take, especially after being weak from a high fever. He listened a bit, cried a bit, shouted a bit, and listened some more.

"The war ended when Voldemort tried to kill you using the Killing Curse, the same one he used on you when you were a child. You countered with a disarming charm, which wouldn't have been effective except that the wand he was holding was actually your wand. The curse hit him instead of you. He was killed by his own curse," Hermione said, ending things there.

Harry was just numb for a long time after. He didn't look up from his hands and he didn't move a muscle. He could have been sleeping, except his lashes moved up and down as he blinked slowly every few minutes. Everything he thought to be true was suddenly wrong. His world was a fantasy. His reality was fiction.

That night he sat on the edge of his bed, thinking about the things that had been explained to him. It would take him a long time to come to terms with things. He slid his foot over the carpet. He must be dreaming again…

He looked up when the door to his room opened. Edward peeked inside uncertainly. "Hey."

"Hey," Harry mumbled with a faint smile. "You can come in."

Edward complied without a word, closing the door behind him after he had entered and then moving to sit beside Harry. "It doesn't make sense, does it?"

"No."

"I know you have a lot on your mind. I just… I want to tell you something as well."

Harry looked at him warily. "What?"

"I can hear your thoughts."

"Ah…"

Edward nodded and kept his eyes diverted, starting at his lap instead. Neither of them spoke for a long while. Many minutes, in fact. Edward was just glad that Harry was still sane after all that had happened. He was unsure if he would have had the same poise if he were thrust into such a situation.

"So… last night?" Harry faltered.

"Last night?"

"You were in my dreams," he said. "That's because you could hear me thinking?"

Edward nodded again.

"Wow…"

"It's just me," Edward added. "Each of us has a different power. Alice can see the future, Jasper can change the mood in a room, Rosalie has her beauty, and Emmett is strong."

"I never knew."

"I know. How could you know?" Edward smiled drily. "We were hiding it from you. We hide it from everyone."

Harry leaned to the side without warning and rested against Edward, startling him a bit. But he recovered and shifted to wrap his arm around the young man. "I'm sorry you have to hide," Harry murmured.

Edward tilted his head and pressed his cheek against the crown of Harry's head. "When I was seventeen, my family caught the Spanish Influenza," he said. "That was a century ago… My mother made Carlisle promise to keep me safe and alive. So he turned me. I've been with him since. He turned Esme after she attempted to take her own life. He turned Rosalie after she was left for dead by her husband."

Harry closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "And the rest of you?"

"Rosalie found Emmett in the forest. He was mauled by a bear. She asked Carlisle to save him. And Alice… She's always been a mystery. She found us. She found Jasper too. Jasper is the oldest."

"It sounds so sad…"

"It's not," Edward assured Harry. "It's not sad at all. When we're together, it's not sad, is it? It's always been happy, right?"

"But you were lying, weren't you?"

"Not about being happy. Not about how we feel when it comes to you. You've changed our lives, Harry. We weren't lying about that. Listening to you, watching you learn and laugh, it was… I… If nothing else, you've changed _me_. Before you, I… I never spoke to anyone but my family. When you came to live with us, I was suddenly pushed into these… situations." He laughed quietly. "You could never understand. When you made me hang out with your friends or forced me to share my homework or harassed me into sitting through lunch with you or stole my CDs... you won't understand how I felt then. You won't understand how you make me feel." He gave Harry a fond squeeze. "I felt human. Being with you makes me feel so human."

Harry twisted around and wound his arms around Edward, hiding his teary face against the hug. Edward stroked his back to comfort him. Harry sniffled and shook his head vehemently. "You're just too cool, Edward," he croaked.

"Hmm."

"Even if you're a vampire, you're really cool, okay?"

"Okay."

"Don't lie to me anymore."

"I won't."

"You're my best friend, okay?"

Edward smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

"And he will be arriving here any minute now," Hermione concluded.

The Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, simply sat behind his desk, dumbfounded.

"Perhaps you should call a press conference?" she added on a helpful note.

"Yes… Perhaps I should," he murmured.

"As long as he isn't overly involved in the interviews, I think this could play out just fine. The last thing I want is for him to be assailed."

"Surely."

"He will most likely be staying at our place, but if you could keep that information to yourself…"

"Of course."

"And… he's different, Kingsley," she said deliberately. "He's got no memory of anything, so he's changed."

"Hmm."

"For the better."

"I'm glad."

"Me too."

Meanwhile, Harry chewed on the side of his cheek while looking down at the old telephone book that sat innocently on the front lawn of the Cullen home. Ron had his eye on his watch, which was what he had been doing for the past two minutes ago. Harry was afraid to think that this was all a _very_ elaborate prank. He glanced to his right at Edward who was also examining the yellow book intently. Ron had called it a Portkey. Behind them stood the rest of the Cullens, all of them ready for a spectacular show, apparently.

Harry didn't know how he felt about being a spectacle. But he was glad Edward was coming along with him.

He cringed as soon as he thought that. He was still getting used to this mind reading thing Edward could do.

Edward smiled privately and spared Harry the embarrassment by looking back at his family and waving goodbye.

"Five seconds," Ron said. He knelt down and rested a hand on the book. Harry and Edward hastened to do the same.

"Stay safe," Alice sang out.

Harry glanced over his shoulder to answer her, but then felt a pull that started at his arm and ran down to his gut. Suddenly everything was a blur of colors, smells, and sounds. He let go of the Portkey in shock.

Edward was quick to latch onto Harry's sleeve and pull him close. They gaped at each other as they flew through what seemed to be all of time and space. Harry was the first to burst into fits of hysteric laughter. Edward followed suit as he experienced magic for the first time in his life.

They couldn't tell if it had taken mere seconds or hours. Nothing made sense as they were pulled through a swirling mess and unceremoniously dumped onto a frayed Persian carpet without warning.

"Oof," Harry groaned. "Ow…" He rolled onto his back and stared up at the vaulted ceiling as he tried to catch the breath he had lost when he landed awkwardly on his side.

Edward recovered with much more ease, rolling out of the fall and ending up crouched by an enormous mahogany desk. He looked up in amazement at the large man who was giving him a similar look from behind the desk.

"That wasn't easy, Ron," Harry complained as he tried to sit up. "You said it would be easy."

Ron was too busy meeting with the Minister to pay any heed. Kingsley shook Ron's hand while ogling at the apparition in his office. In all his years, he had never felt this overwhelmed. Harry Potter was struggling to get up on his feet in the middle of his office, looking alive and steady. He might as well have been dreaming.

Edward helped Harry up quickly. "That's the Minister of Magic," he whispered.

"Crap." Harry blinked hard to get his dizzy head to cooperate. He was seeing double. He shoved his glasses firmly on his face and brushed his shirt down before looking up at Edward.

He smiled in response and nodded once. "You look fine."

"Thanks." Then Harry straightened his back and attempted to stop gawking at all the moving paintings adorning the white walls while walking up to Kingsley. The Minister was at a loss for words when Harry stopped in front of him. "Hello, Minister," he said officially.

"Mr. Potter," Kingsley responded as he held his hand out. Harry shook it while praying the Minister couldn't feel how damp and cold it was. "An honor, as always."

"Ah… Er… Thank you."

Kingsley chuckled in wonderment. "Truly, Harry," he murmured. "We've missed you."

Harry didn't know what to say. "Uh, sorry to keep you waiting," he stammered.

Kingsley's deep laughter boomed against the walls and shook his head in disbelief. "Unbelievable," he exclaimed. "Remarkable."

"Now, Harry," Hermione continued, turning all business in the blink of an eye. "The Minister has called a press conference together-"

"A _what_?"

"And you are not required to speak," she kept going as though she had not been interrupted at all. "In fact, I'd _urge_ you to keep quiet. Panic is the last thing these people need. Just smile and-"

"A _what_?" Harry repeated.

"Look good for the cameras," she finished with a stern look. "Alright?"

"I-I don't need a press conference," he was quick to argue. "You never told me-"

"I never told you because I knew you would put up a fuss."

"I'd never-" He cut himself off when he realized who was in the room with him. He glared at Hermione instead and kept mum.

"Good." Hermione smiled smugly. "Minister, you have your prepared speech?"

"I suppose it will have to do," Kingsley said. "What I say wouldn't matter, in any case."

"True."

"Wait. _Now_?" Harry exclaimed.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** I didn't realize you guys would be so up in arms about that press conference and Hermione's pushiness! I didn't mean anything by it! Honest! I just thought that the first thing to do when Harry returned to the wizarding world was to let everyone know that he was alive :p But I totally see your point and I _might_ have made Ms. Granger seem bossier than ever before. Woopsie… Just so you know, that was _definitely_ not my intention!

Carrying on…

* * *

Harry had no qualms with staring blatantly at the strangeness around him. He had no qualms at being stared at either, which was what the dumbfounded reporters had done at the Ministry. He didn't have to say anything because no one even _asked_ him anything. So he smiled as directed and let the bewildered photographers do their job. He tried not to be bothered by the young children flying in the air on broomsticks or floating shop signs when he got out of the government building. He saw owls and rats and cats and frogs and wands and paintings and cauldrons and potions and quills and books and robes, all in a span of less than one hour. He handled it all rather well too.

"Holy CRAP!"

What _really_ threw him off was his vault at Gringotts.

He spun around to face Ron and Hermione. "That's not mine!" he exclaimed.

"It most certainly is," they assured him while turning him back towards his accumulated wealth.

"This is _gold_!"

"We know."

"I've got _gold_! I thought I was poor!"

"Not at all."

His eyes wandered as he slowly realized that he had more money than he could ever imagine himself having. "I've got to give this to the Cullens," he realized. He glanced back at Edward who was already examining a Galleon intently.

Ron refrained from laughing while Hermione patted Harry's shoulder. "Do you really think they'd accept it?" she asked.

"I've got to try!"

"We don't need money, Harry," Edward murmured. "But I think it's about time you stopped blackmailing me for a couple of dollars."

When ten o'clock struck, the four of them were getting into an old green car.

"So," Ron said as he started the engine, "I need to give you a quick rundown on my family. That way you won't be too lost when they start crying all over you."

"Shouldn't you at least tell them that I'm alive?" Harry asked.

"I probably should." Ron shrugged. "But there is no _immediate_ risk of heart attacks, so it should be fine. Besides, I'd hate to miss their faces when they meet you." Then he went on to quickly explain, with as little detail as possible, his entire family, starting with his mother and father, down to the children from the oldest to the youngest. It took all of an hour of driving for him to get through the grandchildren and all.

As the car crawled up a steep and winding hill, he said, "You'll see the place in a second." And sure enough, as soon as he had reached the very top, the Burrow stood in the vacant field, looking as crooked and magical as ever. Harry's eyes bugged out when he saw it. "I know," Ron chuckled. "There's also one more in my family." He glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye. "My little sister, Ginny."

"Gosh, she must have a hard time with all you guys," Harry exclaimed.

"Yeah, you could say that," Ron smiled. "She's like one of us blokes sometimes, so it doesn't matter. She holds her own."

Edward blinked when he read Ron's thoughts. Ginny was important. She was very important to Harry…

"Here we are." Ron parked the car right by the front gate. "Shall we?"

"Oh, I'm so nervous," Harry gushed as he got out of the car.

"They're getting ready for Sunday brunch, so everyone's probably at the table already."

Harry waved Edward forward animatedly as he followed Ron and Hermione down the stony pathway up to the front of the house. The door was open, as always, so Ron ushered them in. As soon as Harry walked in, he smelt heavenly scents of bacon and pancakes and sugar. He was also overwhelmed by the oddities in the foyer. The floor was littered with shoes, big and small, all very strange. The coat hanger that seemed to have an endless supply of arms was sagging theatrically under the weight of winter coats and scarves. The floor was muddy and scuffed, the walls had dirty fingerprints, and all of that resonated with the chatter coming from within the home that was so much bigger on the inside than it looked from the outside. "Incredible," he exhaled. He felt as though he was floating through a dream. None of this could possibly be real. He looked up at Ron to find him smiling and pointing around the corner to the right.

"Ron?" a voice floated out from the dining room.

"Yeah," Ron called back.

Muffled laugher sounded from inside. It was bound to be loud considering the amount of people squeezed into one place. As soon as Ron and Hermione had walked in, Harry heard loud cheering and claps, as well as some variations of 'better late than never'. Everyone had obviously been waiting on them.

Harry looked back at Edward. "I don't think I can do this," he whispered. "There's so many of them."

Edward nodded sympathetically at Harry. Then he did what any good friend would do. He pushed Harry forward into the dining room.

The silence that fell was terrifying.

Harry frantically patted his hair down, straightened his glasses, and looked down at his clothes to make sure he appeared as presentable as he could considering the situation. Then he looked up at the numerous unblinking eyes. "Hello," he stammered.

No one moved except for Ron and Hermione who were standing off to the side, watching with plain exhilaration.

Harry wasn't really sure what to do now. He had only practiced the 'hello' part before.

Everyone's attention shifted as one when bounding footsteps sounded on the stairs. First thing Harry saw were flannel red pajama bottoms and fluffy white socks. That couldn't possibly explain the way his heart was suddenly beating so very wildly.

"Aw, did I miss Ron?" Ginny asked as she skipped down the stairs.

She froze when she clapped eyes on Harry.

"Oh," Harry exhaled.

"H-Harry?"

"I…"

Ginny sat down heavily on the step in shock.

In the blink of an eye, he flew up the stairs and threw his arms around her.

She clutched him tight as she was struck with heady bewilderment. Neither of them spoke for the longest time. And when they did pull apart, they were beaming at each other as though they were the only two people in the world. She rested a hand against his cheek. "Hey."

"Hi."

"Where were you?" she whispered. "I looked everywhere." She pressed her forehead against his. "I was so scared."

"It's okay," Harry said quietly. "Don't say that."

Ginny tilted her head down and kissed him shyly on the lips.

Harry pulled back in fright.

He lost his balance as he did so and proceeded to tumble down five stairs onto the landing as a furious blush worked its way up his cheeks. "Uh, you, uh, I-" He broke off to flick his panicked eyes at Ron who looked both amazed and incredibly amused. "She's-uh…"

"Ginny," Ron filled him in. "My sister."

Ginny frowned. "What?"

"Ah!" Harry gasped when he suddenly caught on. "You're my _girl_friend… Oh… Oh no…"

The young children were the first to start laughing. Their laughter was very contagious and it wasn't long before their parents followed suit, and suddenly there was commotion from every direction as Harry was dragged down from the landing and thrown from one hug to another, each one more tearful than the one before. He couldn't understand a word that was being said. Not that it mattered because no one expected him to say a thing. He was kissed and cried on and screamed at and punched and pulled and pushed until he was utterly disheveled and safely behind his best friend.

"Whoa, whoa," Ron said as he fended off his family with flailing arms. "Let him breathe, will you? He just got here!"

"YOU KNEW!" everyone bellowed in unison, causing him to cringe.

"Yes, but there is a _very_ good reason for not telling you," he rapidly blurted out.

Everyone quieted down to hear his very good reason.

"Harry can't remember anything."

"Huh?"

"He's lost his memory. He doesn't know you lot."

They looked at Harry for confirmation. He shrugged sheepishly. It was always embarrassing to admit that you didn't remember someone.

"You know me, don't you?" Ginny asked Harry.

"I-um… Well, that's… You're Ginny," he fumbled.

She was incredibly puzzled now. "You don't remember me?"

"I guess… not?"

"Why did you hug me?"

Harry didn't know why. It's just that the moment he clapped eyes on her, he felt so… "I just felt so happy to see you," he said. "I feel so happy to see all of you and I don't even know why."

She was still for a second before she started giggling hysterically. She pushed her brother out of the way so she could hug Harry again. "I'm so glad you're home," she laughed. "I'm so, so, so glad."

Home… Harry pulled away from her and looked back at Edward. This was home… Suddenly he felt a bit of sadness mix in with his exhilaration. He smiled shakily at them to reassure them before turning forward again. "This is Edward," he told everyone. "His father is my doctor. I've been living with his family for the past two years in Forks. That's in Washington."

Now the Weasleys had switched their attention to the very striking young man standing by the wall.

"They've been great," Harry continued. "They've helped me out with everything. I thought it'd be nice for you guys to meet."

"Edward's parents found me," Hermione went on to explain. "They had read a book that mentioned Harry and the war. They found me and told me about Harry. The Cullens have been amazing. Harry's improvement is nothing to wave off…. Especially considering the fact that he's actually going to a Muggle high school."

"What?" Bill and George exclaimed.

"Yeah," Harry laughed lamely. "I was really bad at math and science when I started. Like… _Really_ bad. But apparently I've always been bad at those, even at Hogwarts. So not much of a stretch."

"Wait. You don't remember the war?" Arthur asked.

Harry shook his head. "I didn't even know about magic."

No more conversation was allowed until Molly had seated everyone around the table (two additional place settings were added), and Harry was tucking into his pancakes. Edward sat beside of him and Ginny was on the other side, squishing him in, but he didn't mind. He had never tasted food this good. Esme always cooked such refined things but Molly's food was rich with spice and sugar.

"This is so good," Harry praised. "I'm not kidding. This is fantastic."

"I'm glad," Molly smiled. Then she flicked her eyes at Edward who was looking down at his empty plate with a conflicted expression on his face. "Won't you eat a bit? Some vegetables? Or a waffle?" she urged. "I'm sure you had a tiring journey."

Edward didn't find himself in this situation often. He never socialized with humans in this manner, so this problem was almost never brought up, not even in school.

He could feel everyone's eyes on him, but the ones that bothered him the most were Harry's. He could almost hear the laughter.

Harry was looking at Edward out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, Edward," he said deliberately. "Have some waffles."

Edward wasn't about to let Harry boss him around. "Alright," he said quietly as he reached for the steaming platter in front of him.

Harry slapped his hand away while laughing out loud. "I'm just kidding. You don't have to." He looked up at Molly. "He's a vampire. He doesn't like food."

Utensils clattered on the plate and it rang out rather violently.

Harry jerked in panic. "Uh, er, h-he's really nice," he rushed. "He doesn't hurt humans. It's alright."

"Harry," Hermione sighed in defeat.

"A vampire?" Ginny echoed. "Really?"

Edward nodded stiffly. This also never came up in regular conversation with humans. "We refrain from killing humans," he explained.

"You haven't got fangs," George called out from his end of the table.

"We don't need fangs."

"Gross."

"George," Molly scolded.

"What? That's gross. It's messy not having fangs," George said while holding his hands up in surrender. "It's messy, isn't it?"

Edward allowed himself a faint smile. "I suppose so. I wouldn't know otherwise."

"I didn't know they were vampires," Harry said excitedly now that the Weasleys were starting to loosen up. "I didn't know until last week. I thought they were just normal people who didn't eat or sleep."

"What are the chances?" Percy sighed to himself.

Edward wondered that often.

The Weasleys looked at Ron and Hermione, as though to ask, 'where do you find these characters?' The couple shrugged and smiled privately. They weren't the ones who found these characters. Harry was. Harry always seemed to attract trouble like this.

No one ate that morning except for the children, Harry, Charlie, Ron, and George. Everyone else was too stunned and either crying or laughing, sometimes both. Most of them had given up hope. So seeing Harry smiling and healthy was an impossible dream come true for them. All those months of uncertainty and sadness were wiped clean from their minds. This was yet another victory against the Dark Army. As soon as Harry was stuffed full of scrumptious food, he was dragged to the living room that was transformed to accommodate everyone. He was made to sit by the warm fireplace and everyone crowded around him to ask wondrous questions and say tearful words. The more daring children, like Victoire and Lucy, sidled over to Edward shyly and, as minutes passed, crept up closer and closer until they were sitting on his lap. Their younger siblings kept close to their mothers, however. Harry snuck glances at Edward to watch him entertain the little ones. The girls were enthralled by the vampire's paleness and marble-cold skin. He reminded them of their perfect dolls, only so much bigger. He let them play with his fingers absently while listening to everything that was being said, out loud and otherwise.

After a bit of time, Hermione excused herself and disappeared out the room. Harry didn't think much of it. There were so many others to talk to. He had hundreds of questions for them. He wanted to know _everything_ he could possibly keep in his overloaded mind.

"What happened to your ear?" he asked George. "It's gone."

"I've noticed," George drawled while raising a brow. "It's what happens when you lose track of it."

Victoire covered her ears. "I have mine!" she announced loud and proud.

"You _lost_ it?" Harry exclaimed. "That can happen?" He tugged at his ear unconsciously and looked at Victoire, who responded with an earnest nod. Maybe it was possible to lose ears in a magical world. He didn't know any better.

Everyone laughed at his innocent stupefaction.

"Casualty of the war, I'm afraid," George finally answered.

"Oh… That's too bad."

"It's so strange seeing you like this," Charlie remarked. "Last time we saw you, you were in pretty bad shape."

"I wish I could remember," Harry said gravely. "I really do. I've tried to remember, but I don't know how. I'm glad that things turned out this way in the end, though." He smiled at them. "You guys are great."

"So weird," Ginny muttered under her breath.

Their attention was diverted when they heard the front door open and close, followed by sounds of shuffling feet.

"More people?" Harry asked. How many more Weasleys could there possibly be?

A small blur zoomed into the living room, right in the middle of the circle of people, before stopping suddenly.

The pint-sized boy looked no more than three or four years old. He had his hands on his hips and a triumphant smile on his lips. His messy brown hair made him appear wild and his cheeks were flushed from the cold. "Ha hah!" he panted. "I caught you, villains!" He brandished an invisible sword and waved it at the Weasleys.

Then he jumped around and pointed the sword at Harry. "Who are you?" he asked haughtily. "Answer me."


	15. Chapter 15

"I'm Harry and this is my trusted companion, Edward."

The boy wiped his snotty nose using the back of his hand and contemplated Harry for a little bit. "You are not a villain," he muttered. He glanced back at the Weasleys with narrowed eyes.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not," Harry agreed.

"Hmm." The boy replaced his 'sword' in his 'scabbard' and walked up to Harry slowly. "I know you… Hmm." He leaned in closer and closer until he was an inch away from Harry's face. "Hmm. _What's_ your name?" He smelt of apples and sugar.

Harry smiled wider and leaned in as well, pressing his nose against the boy's. "Harry Potter," he said. "What's your-"

"AH!" The boy fell flat on his bum, startling Harry into pulling back. "Harry _Potter_? Harry _Potter_? HARRY POTTER?" All pretense was gone as he looked back wildly at the beaming Weasleys. "HARRY POTTER?"

"Yes," Ginny said patiently. "That's Harry." Then she looked at Harry with an apologetic smile. "This is Ted. He's your godson."

"Oh." Harry's stomach dropped. "Godson…"

"GRAMMY! HARRY POTTER!" Teddy struggled back up to his feet and raced to the archway of the living room where Andromeda Tonks stared at Harry in shock while Hermione tugged her into the crowd. Teddy hid behind Andy's skirt shyly, all bravado having fled once he learned the identity of the strange young man.

Harry got up to meet the new faces. Hermione quickly told Andromeda about the situation, causing the older woman to pale with concern. "Harry, this is Andy. She's Teddy's grandmother."

"Hello," Harry said.

"Goodness," Andy exhaled as she touched his cheek. "You're alive…"

Harry didn't know what to say, so he just smiled and nodded.

"I thought Teddy had lost you as well," she murmured.

Teddy peeked around his grandmother and up at Harry Potter. He knew Harry Potter very well. Harry Potter was the best person in the world. But everyone said that Harry Potter was dead. Yet here he was. He looked very much alive.

Harry's smile faded. "What do you mean?"

She reached down to rest her hand against her grandson's hair. "His parents died in the war."

"Oh…"

"Teddy's father was your father's best friend," Hermione said. "He was also our teacher in school. Your favorite teacher, I suppose. He taught you more powerful magic than anyone else ever could have. Teddy was a month old when he and his wife, Andy's daughter, passed away."

Harry forced down the lump in his throat.

Andromeda brushed the tears from her eyes as she laughed quietly in an attempt to lighten the suddenly dark mood. "He's your biggest fan," she sniffed. "But… I guess you don't remember him from before. Not a day goes by without him mentioning you."

"No," Teddy grumbled while blushing. "Don't lie, Grammy." If he tried _really_ hard, he was sure he could think of at least _one_ day when he hadn't said a word about Harry Potter.

"Oh? _I_'m lying?"

"Yeah. Don't lie."

Harry laughed shakily as he knelt down and held a hand out to Teddy. "It's great to meet you again."

Teddy wiped his clammy hand on his pants frantically before clutching Harry's tight. "Nice to meet you again too," he mumbled.

Harry tugged him forward, away from Andy. Teddy stumbled a bit before righting himself with wide eyes. Harry tilted his head. "So _you're_ my biggest fan, huh?" he asked for confirmation.

"I-I-I'm-I-"

Harry wrapped him in a big hug. "That's cool," he whispered. "I didn't know I had any fans at all. You seem pretty cool, dude."

Teddy wound his arms around Harry while trying ever so hard not to shake from too much excitement. Harry Potter was _right_ _here_. Harry Potter was _hugging him_! He giggled before he could stop himself and hid his grin against Harry's neck. This was the best day _ever_.

* * *

When Harry woke up the next morning, he was _very_ confused. Firstly, he had no memory of tossing and turning in the middle of the night from nightmares. Secondly, this didn't feel like his bed. Thirdly, there was a small body pressed very close to him.

He wiped the sleep out of his eyes with his free hand and looked down. "Ah…" He remembered now. Teddy was curled up beside him in the narrow cot, clutching his shirt tightly while he slept. Or pretended to sleep. Harry tilted his head down and nuzzled him. He had always wanted a pet. He smiled at the thought. Teddy was just like a faithful dog. He had been following Harry around all day and then wouldn't leave him even when it was time for bed. He gingerly wrapped an arm around the little warm bundle. Teddy was just perfect.

"Are you awake now?"

Harry stifled his chuckle. "Yes."

"Okay!" Teddy jumped up and knelt on the bed. "What do you want to do today?" He had obviously been waiting for his godfather to wake up.

"You tell me. I don't know what I want to do."

"Do you want to play with me some more?"

"That sounds like fun."

Teddy grinned wildly. "Let's go!" He grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him off the bed.

As soon as they had stepped out into the cramped corridor, they were met with Edward.

"Oh, hello!" Teddy greeted. "Let's go play!" He grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him along as well.

"Harry has to eat first."

"Yay! Food!" Teddy now tried to pull the men down the stairs as fast as he could. "I _love_ food."

Harry laughed and shook his head at the boy before glancing at Edward. "Did you have a good night?" he asked.

"Yes," Edward murmured. "I was exploring."

"Incredible, isn't it?"

"That's an understatement."

After breakfast, Harry sat on the wet stoop out back with his mug of steaming coffee while the children tried to impress him with cartwheels and somersaults on the weedy grass. They were _very_ pleased with him because he laughed and clapped at everything they did. They thought he was _really_ nice. Teddy wouldn't stop reminding them that Harry was _his_ godfather. The girls were getting jealous.

"You try, Harry," Teddy called out.

"I'm too scared," Harry answered. "I've never done cartwheels before."

"It's not hard. It's fun." The boy easily flung himself into one. "See? It's fun!"

Harry glanced back when the door opened and he looked up to find Edward peeking out quizzically. "Are we too loud?"

"No. It just sounds like everyone's having fun," Edward said. It was nice to see their exchanges. Harry always had a way with children. Perhaps they saw through his adult exterior and into his innocent mind that resembled their own in many ways. Maybe they thought of him as one of their own. He stepped out and sat beside Harry. "I'm glad you're having fun too."

Harry stared at Edward mutely.

"Hmm?" Edward glanced down at him. "What?"

"Uh… You're… um…"

Edward read his thoughts in an instant. "Oh!" He looked upwards in shock. He was sitting out in the bright sun. He hadn't even noticed. He stood up abruptly. "Sorry."

Harry grabbed his hand and pulled him back down. "Wow." He had never seen Edward in the sun before. "Oh my goodness."

The children had noticed as well. They gawked at Edward just like Harry did.

Edward leaned back as Harry moved his hand forward. But there was only so far back he could go before he was pressed against the wooden railings. "This is incredible," Harry breathed while poking at Edward's jaw. "I didn't know."

The vampire managed an awkward smile. "This is why we never come to the beach with you," he mumbled.

By then the children had moved in closer and were scrutinizing Edward's twinkling hands. It wasn't long before everyone was crowding around him. Thankfully he wasn't claustrophobic. They were utterly captivated. "You're very good at hiding this," Harry gushed. "You look like a big diamond."

"Yeah!" Teddy exclaimed. "So sparkly. You look really nice, Edward."

"Thank you…" Edward didn't want to tell that they were doing exactly what he would want any prey to do – move towards him instead of away from him. It was a predatory tactic. He kept that useful information to himself. Why bother scaring impressionable minds already? He patiently let them examine him.

"He's pretty cool, huh?" Harry asked the young children. Everyone agreed wholeheartedly. "He's a very nice vampire, you know? He's been _really_ nice to me. He goes to school with me and he helps me with homework. So you've got to be nice to him too, ok?"

"See?" Teddy told Lucy triumphantly. "I told you vampires aren't bad. Just like werewolves."

"Werewolves?" Harry asked in confusion. "You've got werewolves?"

"My father was a werewolf," Teddy announced. He puffed his chest out proudly. "And my mother was a metamorgaphom… metagorphamog… metamorphamoga…" He frowned.

"A metamorphmagus."

Everyone looked back at the screen door at Ginny who was standing behind it. "A what?" Harry asked.

"A metamorphmagus," she repeated as she opened the door and joined them out on step. She was eyeing Edward strangely, but at least she was keeping her hands to herself unlike everyone else. "Tonks could change her appearance at will. It's not something that can be learned. It's very strong innate magic." She then smiled down at Teddy and ruffled his hair. "This little devil's a metamorphmagus too."

"Mhm," Teddy nodded eagerly. "I am. I'm just like my mother." He squeezed his eyes shut. His mousy brown hair suddenly started moving and darkening so that, in a matter of seconds, it resembled Harry's. He shot his eyes open to see his godfather's reaction. "I practice all the time!"

Harry was staring at him with his mouth agape. "No way…"

Teddy shrugged shyly and ran his fingers through his hair. "Now I'm like you, Harry."

"You're so smart…" Harry breathed. He couldn't believe this. How could this be possible? He reached out to touch Teddy's hair. It felt real. "Wow! You're so magical, Teddy! That's amazing! You're so cool!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "It's all going to his head, Harry."

"No, it isn't." Teddy scowled at her and then beamed at Harry happily. He was glad to hear those things.

"We're cool too," Victoire grumbled. She slid her hand into Edward's and stuck close to him, feeling so obviously jealous of Teddy.

"You are," Edward assured her and Lucy. "And you know what? You guys should show me around the garden. It looks very interesting. I haven't seen half these plants before." He got up off the stoop and picked the two giggling girls up with ease. "Teddy?"

"I'm staying with Harry," Teddy said.

"Then who's going to fight off the garden gnomes?"

"Oh, yeah!" Teddy ran after Edward who was already making his way towards the reedy pond by the fence.

That left Ginny and Harry alone.

She glanced at him with narrowed eyes. "That was…"

Harry shifted in his seat. "Oddly convenient?" he finished.

"Yes."

"Yeah, Edward… Um… He can read minds."

Ginny stared at Harry blankly.

"Really. It's true," he insisted.

"He reads minds…"

"Yes."

"That's… rather unfortunate."

"He's very discreet about it. He's a billion years old, so I'm sure he's-"

"A billion years old?"

Harry cringed. "Um… Er… Like, a hundred years old," he corrected himself.

"Wow."

"He can't die."

"Oh, wow…"

"But he's seventeen. Forever." Harry smiled helpfully. "So it's okay. I'm sure he's heard every thought in the world by now. Nothing surprises him anymore. Except magic, I guess. He didn't know about magic."

"You talk more."

Now it was his turn to blink at her.

"You never used to talk this much. You used to think a lot, but you almost never talked like this. Not unless you were excited about Quidditch or exams or the war. It's nice. And you laugh more. It's nice, Harry, to see you like this."

Harry stared at his cup of coffee because he wasn't sure where else to look. "Well, Rosalie says I talk too much… She also says I laugh too much. I don't think you two would get along."

Ginny chuckled and draped her arm over his shoulder. She was still wrapping her head around the events of the day before. Harry was _right there_. He was right beside her. He felt the same - slender and warm. She tilted her head to the side and rested her cheek on his shoulder while watching Edward crouch on the ground beside Teddy who was excitedly pointing at something in the reeds. "You know, I've been in love with you for years and years now," she murmured. Harry blushed as his eyes went wide, but she didn't see. "I've known you since I was ten. You were always this… really great guy who was best friends with my brother. You were amazing at Quidditch and terrible when it came to anything else. You were so famous and you didn't know what to do about it. You got mad at the silliest things. Always had this high sense of morality and pride. And you didn't notice me for nearly five years."

Harry wished with all his heart that he could remember all of this. "What changed?" he asked quietly.

"Wish I knew. One day you kissed me. Or did I kiss you? Hmm... It was great."

"Hmm."

"Do you think you'd like to be my boyfriend again?"

Harry was so embarrassed he didn't know what to do. His mouth dried up and his stomach was filled with butterflies. This had never happened before. No girl had ever liked him _like that_ before. He didn't know what to say.

Ginny could sense the tension. "Hey." She reached up and made Harry turned his head towards her. Their lips touched a moment later, cold and soft. She couldn't help but smile. He was so innocent. She pulled away from him with a quiet sigh. "You're pretty great, Harry."

"Y-you're great too, Ginny," he stammered. "I think you're really nice."

"I am," she agreed wholeheartedly. "And you know what else I think?"

"What?"

"We should break up."

"Huh?"

"Is that alright?"

He was really confused now. "Uh… Uh… I… Uh… If you want."

"Good."

Harry never knew that relationships could be this complicated. Or that it could end this quick. "So… I had a girlfriend for, like, one minute?" he faltered.

"Did you feel really mature for that minute?" Ginny joked.

"Yeah. I did." He also felt like Ginny was a very complicated girl. "Is this alright? With you, I mean. I don't mind because I don't remember, but… you mind, don't you?"

"Well, when you get better and if you still feel like dating me, then I'll take you back in a heartbeat," she assured him. "So get better soon, okay?"

"You're really weird, Ginny."

"Weirder than you?"

Harry snorted in derision. "_No one's_ weirder than _me_," he boasted.

"That is _definitely_ not something to be proud of," she laughed. She sounded sad though. Harry could sense it. She had yet to let go of him. "I hardly saw you the year after the war."

"How come?"

"You were away at training camp. It's a two-year program. You never finished." She squeezed his shoulder. "Do you think you will finish?"

"I-um… I don't know magic."

"Once you learn, I mean."

"I don't have a wand."

"Right…"

"Is it easy to learn magic?"

Ginny nodded encouragingly. "Definitely. You were always good at defense magic. You were quick and you could think on your feet. Great reflexes. It's why you were so good at flying."

"Yeah, this _flying_ thing," Harry interjected. "What's up with that?"

She had a sly smile playing at her lips now. "Oh? You haven't tried a broom yet?" she asked.

"I don't want to," he rushed. "That's insane. I'd never. I was just aski-"

"You'd _never_?" She was looking more and more devilish by the second.

"Don't make me," he begged. "I'll just end up breaking my neck or something. It would be awful. Imagine how awful you'd feel if you made me break my neck."

"You were pretty good, Harry," she said honestly. "You liked the challenge of flying. You had potential. Did you know that you were the youngest person to join a Quidditch team in over a century at Hogwarts? That's not something to laugh at. You're a natural. Once we trick you onto a broom, you'll take to it like a fish in water."

"Oh," he groaned in dismay. All he could think about was crashing into trees and spinning towards the ground. It made him nauseous just imagining it.


	16. Chapter 16

The bookstore was somewhat bare when it came to customers, so it was nice change of pace for Harry. He had asked Hermione to bring him to one and the look on her face would make it seem like he had asked her if she wanted a million bucks. So now he was in the musty store with Edward and Teddy in tow, browsing the amazing selection of books. He was going to bring as much as he could carry back to Forks. He already had an armful and he was making Edward carry two armfuls. Teddy trotted along to point at this and that. He wanted to be helpful too.

Harry was already feeling comfortable in the strange new world of his, even though it was just his third day there. He hadn't been out of the Burrow or Ron and Hermione's flat for too long at a time, but the times he went shopping or exploring were pleasant. While everyone seemed to know who he was, no one was willing to approach him, always glancing at him shyly and whispering amongst themselves when he passed by instead. Perhaps they were still getting over the shock of the news of his return. He was being treated like a celebrity without any of the formalities that came with being royalty.

The news of his amnesia had not been released to the press for obvious reasons. The last thing Harry wanted were people accosting him about his health because that was happening often enough amongst his friends.

At that moment, they were in the quiet bookstore, away from the crowded streets and prying eyes, and Harry felt great.

When they got to the children's section, which was Teddy's favorite, Harry put the books down on one of the low tables with a tired groan. "So heavy." He had taken one book from every single aisle. He was sure Carlisle and Esme would appreciate all this. He had the money to buy them, after all. He stretched his back tiredly.

"Look, Edward!" Teddy exclaimed as he squatted on the ground to pick up a book from the bottom shelf. "It's about vampires!"

Edward chuckled as he knelt down next to the boy who was opening up the picture book eagerly.

Harry stared out the dirty window as he massaged his arms. Something felt amiss. Was he forgetting to grab a book on vampires too? He had found a book on _all_ magical creatures. Should he get one that was _just_ about vampires? Then he would have a whole bunch of new things to bug Edward about.

Edward glared up at him.

He grinned sheepishly in response and looked out the window again. No. That wasn't it. What was it, then?

That's when he noticed the man in black across the street.

He let out a strangled gasp as a wave of terror crashed through him. He dropped to his knees and grabbed Teddy and Edward, pulling them close in time to shield them from flying shards of glass and stone that followed a deafening explosion.

Heavy silence followed. Shredded paper floated down to the floor. Thick grey dust filled the shop.

The silence lasted for just a few seconds.

Then terrified screams echoed from both out on the street and inside the building.

Edward was the first to recover. They had been thrown a good distance down the aisle and onto the cracked stone floor. He jerked upright and whipped his head around in horror to look at the crumpled wall and shattered remnants of the window. Shelves had splintered and books were burning. However, what shocked him the most were the broken glass and debris floating in midair just inches away from him, as though stopped by an invisible force. He skittered away from it, connecting with Teddy's curled up body on the way back. The suspended debris shuddered before falling down onto the ground harmlessly. Edward snapped his eyes away from it to address the shivering boy on the floor. "Teddy," he rushed. "Are you okay?"

Teddy raised his eyes. "Wh-where's Harry?"

Edward was already searching for him. He wasn't with them. It took him a moment to realize that Harry who had been blown back the farthest and was buried under a pile of rubble. "Stay down, okay?" he told Teddy. "It's easier to breathe if you stay down."

"Mhm," Teddy mumbled as his chin trembled and his eyes filled with frightened tears. He did as he was told.

Meanwhile, Edward was already frantically uncovering Harry, pulling wood, bricks, and soiled pages off of him. But, as soon as he sensed blood, he froze. He was suddenly aware of the scent and his own mounting thirst. Harry was hurt… He forced down his urges and pushed himself to keep working. It wasn't long before he had managed to get the young wizard free. Harry had been knocked unconscious. He was scratched up pretty badly. The worst were the shards of glass digging into his side. He was struggling to breathe through the shock and choking dust. Edward pulled him out and moved him to a cleaner spot on the floor. Teddy crawled over to them, crying out when he saw the blood. "It's okay," Edward said. He pulled the boy into his arms. Teddy clung to him, crying into his shoulder. "He'll be okay, Teddy."

Harry opened his eyes as though he had heard Edward's words. He seemed disoriented for a moment, but he caught his bearings when he looked up at Edward and saw the terror on his face. He bit back a groan as sharp, throbbing pain shot up his stomach and ribs. He didn't have to look to know what had happened. "Th-there's blood?" he croaked.

"Yes."

"Go."

Edward shook his head stubbornly.

"I'm fine," Harry gasped. "Just go. Take Teddy."

"NO!" Teddy screamed. He suddenly pushed away from Edward's hold and scrambled to get near his godfather. "NO, HARRY!"

"Edward, take him," Harry breathed shakily. "P-please."

Edward scooped Teddy up before he could grab Harry. "NO! HARRY! NO!" he wailed. Edward blurred away, moving towards the back of the store where he heard people gathering. There was so much blood… He found Hermione in a heartbeat. She was tending to some patrons by cashier's till.

She looked up at him just as he was untangling himself from Teddy. "Where's Harry?" she exhaled in horror.

"He's hurt," Teddy sobbed as he wound his arms around Hermione's neck. "There's blood!"

"I need to go back," Edward told her.

"No, wait." She stopped him urgently. "You have to-th-there's blood?"

"It's fine. I'm fine." Edward shook her off and steeled himself before blurring from her view.

He found Harry curled up on his side, crying.

He knelt down without saying a word and grazed his fingers over Harry's head.

Harry flinched and squeezed his eyes shut. "I said-"

"I know what you said."

He pressed his hand over his mouth to stifle his whimpers.

"Cry if you want," Edward murmured. "I don't mind." Harry shook with each breath. He had never been in this much pain before. "Teddy's safe," Edward added. "He's with Hermione."

"I-I didn't want him to-"

"See. I know."

"It hurts," Harry sobbed. "Edward, I-I'm-Am I going to die?"

"No." Edward pressed his hand against Harry's side, trying to alleviate the heat and slow the bleeding. "You aren't going to die."

"Ah," Harry moaned. Edward's cold was taking away some of the pain. It helped. But not enough. He had never felt this. He was so scared.

"It's okay," Edward tried to console him. "It's not bad." He was getting dizzy from the scent of blood and the feel of it against his fingers. He tried to push it out of his mind by thinking of something else.

The floating debris…

"You did magic, Harry," he rushed. "I saw it."

Harry didn't seem to have heard him as he was concentrating on keeping his wits about him.

"Are you listening?" Edward asked. He bent down close to Harry's ear. "You did magic. You protected Teddy."

"Mhm."

"You did great. I saw it. You stopped the glass from hitting us."

Harry managed a quiet sob that passed for miserable laughter. "I d-did it," he wavered. "I did it. I-I had to-I had to-"

"I know. You had to. You did it. You did great."

Less than a minute later, the emergency Mediwizards were on the scene and they whisked Harry away. Ten minutes after that, he was in the operating theatre. The glass shards had missed his vital organs, so all that was required was extraction and a few stitches to make sure the bleeding stopped. He needed copious amounts of blood to replace all that he had lost. It was simple procedure for the Mediwizards, but an entirely tiring one for their patient.

That night, he was kept sedated in the hospital. He wasn't aware of the commotion around him as visitors argued amongst themselves heatedly and cried and cursed. He slept through it all. The potions made him weak and susceptible to his nightmares. He dreamt of many explosions and non-descript men dressed in black. He saw Edward too, but they couldn't speak to each other for some reason. It was as though a soundproof glass wall had been erected between them, keeping them apart. The worst was seeing Teddy in his mind, lying still under the rubble. The pain in his chest and head was worse than the pain on his side. He just needed to wake up and he couldn't. Try as he might, he couldn't get his eyes to open up. He needed to make sure everyone was fine.

All it took was a blaring alarm to jolt him out of his dreams.

He nearly fell out of bed in fright. The door to his hospital room shot open without warning. Aurors who had been ordered to guard him poked their heads in, wincing as the shrill trill pierced their ears. "Fire alarm, sir." The nurses had told them that Harry should be fine to walk out on his own.

"Oh," Harry mumbled. He struggled to untangle himself from the sheets and gingerly planted his feet on the ground. He hadn't stood up since the operation. He didn't feel too bad. Just a bit nauseous, he supposed. He nervously touched his side, discovering it to be numb and bandaged. He'd hate to look at the actual healing wound. It took him a few tries to get his feet going. The potions in his system weren't helping. He could barely tell top from bottom. He managed to get his shoes on after wiping his eyes and pushing his bent glasses against his nose. He couldn't even remember what day it was. For all he knew, he had been sleeping for a week. He hoped that wasn't the case. The Aurors escorted him out of the building and across the street where staff and sleepy patients were gathered. Harry sat down on the pavement with some of the other people and tried to rub away the ache in his head.

The two Aurors guarding him stood around uncomfortably, shuffling on the spot and watching the emergency team enter the building that looked perfectly fine to them.

Harry craned his neck backwards and looked up at them. "Do you know what's going on?" he asked.

"No, sir. We weren't told anything."

"Hmm." Harry pressed a hand to his side to feel the gauze again. It felt secure despite all the movement. "And do you know if Teddy's alright? And Hermione?"

"Everyone was fine except for you, sir."

"Ah… You don't have to call me 'sir'."

The Aurors glanced at each other and shared a smile. "Very well, Mr. Potter."

It turned out to be a kitchen fire in the cafeteria, which was unusual since the kitchen staff weren't present that early in the morning. But since the fire had been extinguished and the rest of the building was deemed safe, the evacuated people were allowed back inside less than half an hour later. As Harry followed his bodyguards in, he asked, "Have you been here all night long?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you guys tired?"

"We have night shifts quite often, so we're used to this."

"Well… You must be really bored right now, huh?" He could vaguely remember Ginny telling him that he had been training to be like these law enforcers before he disappeared. "You catch a lot of bad guys?"

The Aurors shrugged modestly.

"That's cool. I don't know if I'd be able to do it."

They glanced at him out of the corners of their eyes, feeling tempted to say that he had already done more in his short lifetime than they ever could.

Once they reached the hospital room, Harry said his goodnights and shut the door with a tired sigh. That day had to have been one of the most exciting days ever. He decided that he didn't like exciting days all that much anymore. It was hardly any fun.

He jerked in fright when he was grabbed from behind, his arms getting pinned against his body. A hand came up and clamped his mouth shut to silence him before he could make a sound. "Don't fight. Don't scream," a quiet whisper sounded in his ear. His heart was thumping rapidly against his chest as he struggled to keep breathing evenly. He stared at the door, realizing in an instant that he was close enough to kick it.

He threw his weight back hard, using the momentum to lift his legs.

He was jerked away before he could even touch it.

He screamed into the hand and thrashed violently. Why did this keep happening? He was dragged back despite his kicking and flailing. The man was strong, much stronger than him. That was terrifying… He tried to wrench his arm out of the bruising hold. That's when he felt a sharp stab on his side. He froze in fright as his ribs and stomach started to warm up unusually. He moaned in despair when he grew lightheaded from panic and pain. He was hurt again. There was blood again. He vaguely understood the situation as he was shoved into the dark bathroom and against the tiled walls. He slid down to the ground. Why did this keep happening?

"Damn it. I told you not to fight, Potter."

As soon as he heard those words, adrenaline filled him, prompting him to jolt forward in an attempt to get back up onto his feet.

He was pushed down again. "Stay put, for heaven's sake."

He flinched when the lights came on.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

Harry would have laughed bitterly if he weren't voiceless from terror.

"Lift your arms."

He complied without saying a word. His soiled shirt was peeled off and he heard a soft tsk. That must have something to do with the pain.

"Look at me."

Harry braced himself before opening his eyes and finding himself staring up at pale man. Everything about him was pale – his hair, eyes, and skin. He was practically an apparition. His head was tilted downward but his gaze was pointed and directed at Harry, who didn't know what to say.

"You don't remember me?"

He shook his head.

"I see." The man flicked his eyes away and looked at the wound on Harry's side. "I can fix this for you. But you have to sit still. I won't hurt you."

"Okay," he mumbled.

The man had his wand out and he pressed it against Harry's skin gently. Coldness seeped into the swollen skin and the wound stopped bleeding, much to their relief. Then the skin knitted itself a bit haphazardly. It took a few minutes for the gashes to be closed up completely. Even then the skin was red and patchy. A fresh set of bandages were conjured and taped onto Harry's side. It probably looked a lot worse than before, but at least it wasn't hurting as bad and he wouldn't end up bleeding to death.

Harry had kept his eyes on the man the whole time, watching him perform healing charms. He worked quickly, his long nimble fingers moving with little hesitation. He seemed very uncomfortable being there, doing this. If that was the case, then why _was_ he there in the first place?

He looked up at Harry, acknowledging his questioning gaze. "I'm Malfoy," he said. "Draco Malfoy."

"Hmm."

"You still don't know me?"

"No."

"No one's talked to you about me?"

Harry searched his face to see if it would bring back a ghost of a memory. "I… don't know. I've been… I've had a lot to remember. Lots of names," he faltered. "Why?"

Draco shook his head. "Never mind." He reached behind him.

"Are you a doctor?" Harry urged.

"No." In his hand was a shimmering dark cloak that he pooled onto Harry's lap. He also placed a slender wand atop it. "I… had to borrow these. They're yours."

"W-wait. Is this my _wand_? And what is _this_?" Harry asked in wonder. He touched the cloak reverentially, nearly gasping when he felt its texture and weighed its lightness.

Draco's eyes drew down to the thin scar across Harry's chest. "You need to be careful from now on," he said. "This will keep happening and you need to be careful." He swished his own wand at the discarded shirt on the ground, getting rid of the blood in an instant so Harry could wear it again.

"How-"

"I have to go now…"

"Where?"

"Stay safe." He got up and strode towards the door. He did pause by the doorway, however. "And… try not to play the hero again, Potter." He glanced over his shoulder and arched a derisive brow at Harry. "Goodbye." He disappeared from sight, leaving Harry to search the empty darkness.


	17. Chapter 17

First thing Harry felt when he opened his eyes in the morning was blissful nothingness. No pain, no ache, no blood. He felt tired and sleepy and hungry, but he could handle those feelings. He looked up at the hospital ceiling and frowned.

"H-Harry?"

He turned his stiff neck to the side to find Teddy standing by his bed. The boy wiped his cheeks and attempted a very wavering smile. "Hey," Harry whispered hoarsely. "Are you alright?"

"Mhm. So are you," Teddy croaked.

"I'm glad for that." Harry hesitantly ran his hand over his side before sitting up gingerly and inviting Teddy to sit on his lap. Had last night been a dream? "I'm so sorry," he mumbled.

"No," Teddy sniffled. He clutched Harry's shirt tight and pressed his damp face against it. "Don't be sorry. You did magic. You saved me."

"It's my fault you got hurt."

"Don't go. Please don't go away again."

Harry shook his head and pressed a firm kiss on Teddy's cheek. "I'm not going anywhere," he promised.

The rest of his visitors were still shaken. Molly hugged him for a long while and Ron's smile was so strained that it could have dissolved into tears at the slightest provocation.

"You were pretty out of it yesterday," he told Harry who was gently rocking Teddy to sleep. Apparently the boy had had a restless night as well. Ron patted Harry's back with a proud smile. "You're doing great today, though. It's good to see you up and about."

"It wasn't anything serious," Harry brushed off. He wasn't used to such situations.

When Ginny came in, she didn't waste a minute before swatting Harry over the head angrily. "Why do you keep getting into these situations?" She pressed a kiss on Teddy's cheek in the same breath. "You scared him, Harry."

"I know." He was tempted to say that this wasn't his fault entirely. But it probably was…

"From now on you aren't leaving the house for _anything_."

"I don't _want_ to leave the house for anything."

"Good."

"Good."

Ginny scowled at him. "Nearly gave me a heart attack," she muttered under her breath as she plopped down beside him on the bed. "It hurt a lot, didn't it?"

"Yeah."

She tsked. "You're a champ, got it? You're the best."

More Aurors arrived to take Harry's statement, although he wasn't sure how helpful he was. He couldn't identify the man in black since he had just caught a glimpse. All he could tell them was that the man had looked threatening somehow. Thankfully no one was severely injured, Harry coming out with the worst of it. It had obviously been a targeted attack.

He wondered if things were the same way two years ago when he was in a coma. Maybe there were more tears. He couldn't bear to think of putting the Weasleys through this. Now Teddy was old enough to know what was happening as well. They must have been terrified, especially when he disappeared.

Had last night been a dream?

"Hey, where's Edward?"

Hermione and Ron glanced at each other with a look that was plain enough to read. Harry was struck with a bout of uneasiness, but knew better than to ask questions they didn't really have any answers to.

He was discharged that morning, much to everyone's relief. His only precious minutes of privacy was awarded by the fact that he had to change out of his hospital clothes and into some new attire Hermione had brought with her. The moment the door shut, he struggled out of bed and limped towards the tiny closet beside the bathroom, throwing the door open hastily. There they were, the wand wrapped in that soft cloak left behind by Draco. It hadn't been a dream after all. Harry picked the cloak up with shaky hands.

He ended up stuffing it in the bottom of the bag of potions, vials, and parchments he had gotten from his doctor. He couldn't relax until he had gotten back to Ron's place and shut the door, locking himself in. He felt like a smuggler. He had to find out more about the man who had visited him. But information was not readily available in this world compared to his old world where everything was just one mouse click away. He needed to figure out who Draco Malfoy was.

He nervously pulled his 'smuggled items' out of the medicine bag. He laid the cloak on his bed. He could feel the wand between the folds as he brushed the cloth smooth. He had yet to touch it. After that incident with Ron's wand, he had been wary of them.

He stood staring at the black material for a few minutes, then shook his head and moved towards the small desk by the window where Hermione had left books and newspaper clippings for him to read on his free time so he could catch up on the things he had missed. He sifted through the material, stopping when he found a neatly handwritten list of names that Hermione had painstakingly made so that he could familiarize himself with all the names. It was alphabetized (he wouldn't have expected anything less out of her), so he flipped over to the M's. No Malfoys or anything remotely similar phonetically. He sighed. Draco had looked surprised when he was told that no one had spoken about him. He _had_ to be someone important. But then why wasn't his name in the list?

Harry had so much material to go through. Next he picked up the biggest book on the table, the same one Carlisle had found his name in. He walked over to his bed begrudgingly and sat down. He didn't really want to look through all this. It would certainly be a lot easier to just ask someone. But then Draco could get into trouble.

Harry frowned at that thought.

Why _did_ Draco sneak around instead of just approaching him directly?

Because he was a bad man…

His eyebrows rose slowly as he mulled over that thought. A bad man. Not really. A _bit_ bad. He didn't intentionally hurt Harry. He even fixed everything afterwards. Then again, he had stolen a wand. But he had returned it. Harry chewed his cheek as conflicting arguments warred each other in his mind. So confusing.

He opened the book to the table of contents. He had already read the last chapter a billion times. He found it _very_ fascinating. It told his story and, yet, he couldn't remember it himself. His eyes jumped up from the index of the last chapter to the second last chapter, titled 'The Second Rise of the Dark Lord'. He had yet to read that part properly.

He opened up the right chapter and started reading. It began with something about a Triwizard Tournament that took place in Hogwarts. He shouldn't be surprised. _Everything_ happened at Hogwarts.

However, he did stop short when he read that he had won the tournament.

"Huh?" he exclaimed while pushing his glasses more firmly against his nose.

Apparently he had been a participant in the tournament, one of two Hogwarts champions. And, apparently, he had won along with Cedric Diggory, who died shortly afterwards. Harry stared at the words in shock. How on Earth did he keep getting himself into these situations? The night they won the tournament was the night Voldemort came back. It was his rebirth.

Harry felt revulsion as he read the details of the spell used to revive the man. Bone of the father, flesh of the servant, blood of the enemy. He rubbed the scar on his arm unconsciously before flipping the page. After that night, everything had been pulled apart – the Ministry, families, and even Hogwarts.

But the part that made him stop again was the section that spoke of the Dark Lord's headquarters.

Malfoy Manor.

"Oh no," he breathed quietly as he ducked his head and read intently. Lucius Malfoy had been part of Lord Voldemort's elite, a Death Eater. The Dark Army's base during the war had been in the Malfoy Manor that was now in the possession of the Ministry. So that would mean that Draco Malfoy was related to Lucius Malfoy. That could be _very _bad…

Harry pushed the book away and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on the details of his meeting the night before. After their unfortunate first few minutes, Draco had been anything but threatening. He had spoken in a hushed voice until the end and he appeared genuinely concerned. Any way Harry looked at it, there was nothing bad about that meeting. It had been very revealing, if anything. Maybe things weren't as black-and-white as everyone made them out to be.

He spent the next few hours just reading excerpts from the book, but there wasn't much else about the Malfoys. Maybe he would have to get a book that detailed the Dark Army in detail. He wondered what the shopkeeper would think if he bought a book like that. Ron would probably beat him with a stick.

Finally his restraint broke and he crawled up to the black cloak, opening it up to reveal the wand hidden inside. It looked like a simple, varnished piece of wood with a bit of a hilt at one end. He took a slow breath before reaching out, brushing his fingers against it.

The hair on his arm raised in an instant, prompting him to pull back with a soft gasp. He had felt it, the magic. It felt warm. He rubbed his fingers against his pajamas and scrambled back. He wasn't ready for this yet. He swallowed hard. He wouldn't ever be ready…

He turned away and rummaged through his open suitcases to get his mind off of things. He finally found his discarded cell phone at the bottom of his mess of clothes. He had to find Edward. But magic didn't allow for electricity, which frustrated Harry just a bit more. He stared at the expensive brick in his palm. Where could he go? Hermione would kill him and Ron would help if he stepped out of the apartment. He wandered around the empty flat with the phone held up in the air, pushing the buttons randomly to see if anything would happen. The entire flat had way too much magic for this.

Maybe out the window?

Harry glanced at the large windows in the living room. It led into a very small balcony with a parapet. He walked out there and tried the phone. Nothing. He held his phone out over the metal railing.

"Ah," he exhaled triumphantly. A flicker of light had flashed on the screen. He stood on his tiptoes and reached out even further. His phone turned on with some difficulty. But he couldn't make a call like that. He couldn't even text Edward because he was using one hand to balance himself on the balcony while the other held the phone so tight his knuckles were white. But now he knew that if he walked out just a little into the street, he could make the call.

Not of entirely sound mind, he figured that maybe a little trip down five flights of stairs and out the front lobby wouldn't be a big deal. He would be back inside in a jiffy, after all. So, dressed in pajamas, he padded out the flat, making sure to leave the door unlocked, and made his way down to the empty street. He didn't notice the strange looks he was receiving from the doorman or passing neighbors. He was too engrossed with his phone.

Once he was outside in the cold, he realized that he should have at least worn some shoes. He scrunched his toes against the cold cement. "Oh well," he mumbled. He moved a bit to the side and sat down on the ledge that separated the pavement from the building property, his legs dangling just off the ground. His phone worked relatively well from down there. He dialed Edward quickly and stuck the phone close to his ear, hearing a lot of static and angry screeches between rings. Even if his phone was working, it wasn't _happy_ to be working, that was for sure.

After three rings, he heard a soft click and even more static, but no sound. "Hello?" he tried.

"Harry?"

He exhaled in relief. "Hey, yeah," he answered Edward. "Where are you? I haven't-"

"Are you alright?"

"Mhm. Yeah. I'm fine." He kicked the brick wall with the heel of his feet anxiously. "Are you alright too? Where are you?"

There was a crackly pause, then a curt, "I'm fine as well."

Harry frowned. "Edward, where are you?" he asked again with deliberate slowness.

"I'll see you soon."

"No. Edward…" He was talking into a dead line. His jaws clenched together in vexation and confusion. He angrily tried Edward again, but this time he was sent right to voicemail. Edward had switched his phone off. "For God's sake," Harry muttered under his breath. He quickly flipped through his contact list, quick to find the one number he was looking for. If there was anyone who knew where Edward was, it would be…

"Hello?"

"Alice! Where is he?"

There was silence on the other end.

Harry closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. "You tell me this very moment, Alice Cullen, or, so help me God, I will-"

"He's not in trouble. I can't… Hmm… I can't really see, but he's not in trouble, okay? Are _you_ alright, Harry? He called us and told us what had happened. I can't believe you're-"

"He's doing something stupid, isn't he?"

"That's… a relative term."

Harry brought a hand up to massage his aching forehead. "But he's not in trouble?" he mumbled.

"No. And please stay safe. Rosalie blew a gasket and nearly broke all the things in the house when she heard about this. They said you would be safe. Come back. Please?"

Harry couldn't bear to listen to her quiet words. "I-I'll-I… I have to find Edward first," he faltered. "Okay? Then we'll talk about this. I just need to find him right now."

"He will find _you_. He's capable."

"I have to go."

"Harry, you need to-"

He quickly hung up before she finished. Now wasn't the time for them to guilt him into coming home. He still had so much to learn. And he had Teddy now. He stifled his exasperated growl as he jumped off the wall and stormed back into the building. Edward was going to get a good earful when he got back. Harry would make sure of it.

* * *

"I'll see you soon."

"No. Edw-"

He disconnected the call and switched off his phone. No more interruptions.

His eyes never wavered from the dark corner of the abandoned house where two men cowered on the ground behind their arms. Their quiet whimpers dissipated before it even left the room. After pocketing the phone, he looked down at his hands, finding them dusty. He brushed them against his pants as he crouched down in front of the terrified men.

"P-please."

His stark red eyes glowed with fury. "If anyone touches Harry again…" he murmured. His voice cut through suffocating air, piercing the men with frightening imaginings. "I won't hesitate next time. I _will_ rip you apart. Each and every one of you."

"Y-yes. Yes, yes, p-please."

He pulled away from them and stood up. "Leave."

The men scampered up, hardly able to stand because of their shaky knees, and struggled out of the room. A vampire's wrath was nothing short of demonic…


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Haha, I never realized you guys liked a badass Edward. I'll keep that in mind for future chapters ;D

* * *

Harry had been pacing the length of his bedroom for nearly an hour before a soft knock sounded against the door. He stomped over there and threw it open, not looking the least bit surprised when he found Edward on the other side.

Before he could speak, he was tugged forward into a tight embrace. His anger melted the instant he sensed Edward's terror. He tucked his head down. "Hey," he murmured. "It's okay."

Edward squeezed Harry as tight as he dared to. He had been in a daze for the past twenty-four hours. Being able to talk to Harry like this was finally putting his heart at ease.

"Where were you?" Harry hesitated.

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters. You, of all people, are _not_ allowed to do stupid things," he chided. "You were doing something stupid, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"Please stop. The Aurors are figuring it out. You could get hurt, Edward. I'm really alright." Harry pulled away and gestured at himself. "See? It was nothing at all."

Edward knew better. "I've… I found out who did it," he confessed.

Harry grimaced and turned away with his arms against his chest, feeling oddly angry and desperate. He hated the fact that everyone else was fighting his wars for him.

Edward rested a hand on his shoulder. "If I got hurt, you'd do the same, wouldn't you?"

Harry knew he would. But he wouldn't say it out loud, just to spite Edward. After less than a minute of strained silence, he broke. "Well? Who was it?" he snapped.

"The same man who hurt you two years ago. He's called Malfoy."

Harry's frown smoothed and he stared at the wall blankly. Malfoy?

Edward continued. "He disappeared the night you were found, the night you hurt your head. There were witnesses. He's part of the Dark Army. He hasn't been seen since but… everyone believes he's come back to…" He trailed off.

"Draco Malfoy?"

He stared at the back of Harry's head. "Pardon me?"

"H-he didn't do it."

"What?"

Harry finally turned to look at Edward. His eyes were wide and his complexion pallid. "It's not Draco," he insisted. "It's someone else. Someone wants you to think it was him."

Edward flicked his eyes over Harry's face frantically, trying to read his rapid, muddled thoughts. "What are you saying? How would… Why would you say that?"

"H-he visited me last night," Harry revealed, "at the hospital. He came to warn me. He said this would keep happening and told me to-"

"Stay safe…" Edward finished as he heard the quiet thoughts in his mind. "Are… are you certain?"

"No, I could have been dreaming for all I know. But he gave me these." Harry gestured at the cloak and wand that lay so plainly atop his bed.

"He gave you _what_?"

"My wand. He said he had to borrow it and he wanted to return it now. He's not the one who's trying to hurt me, Edward. He's trying to _help_ me," Harry explained shakily. "So then who's… Why does everyone think… Wh-when you say everyone, what did you mean?"

"_Everyone_, Harry," Edward emphasized. "The Aurors, the Dark Army, even Ron and Hermione. _Everyone_ says he did it."

"Oh my goodness…"

"Tell me _exactly_ what he told you."

Harry took a trembling breath and closed his eyes. "Th-there was a fire alarm in the middle of the night and we had to evacuate. When I was allowed back in my room, he was there. He… he seemed confused when I told him that I had never heard his name. N-not surprised. He already knew I couldn't remember anything and he seemed frustrated." Harry grazed his fingers against his bandaged side without thinking. "I guess it makes sense. Why didn't anyone tell me who he was? No one even…" He bit back his frustration so he could get on with the story. "He gave me those, said they were mine. He said he had to borrow them. He said I have to be careful and that this will keep happening. That I'd keep getting hurt. And he told me to stop… playing the hero. I don't know what he meant. I _know_ he didn't do it, Edward. He was just… He looked so worried for me. Why would everyone think he did it?"

"There were witnesses," Edward murmured.

"Everyone's chasing after the wrong man! Witnesses or not, he didn't do it!"

"You don't remember. How could you know for sure?"

"What do we do? We have to do something!"

"You need to tell Hermione and Ron. You _have_ to tell them. Now."

Harry hadn't told them yet because he didn't want to get Draco in any trouble. But, upon realizing that the young man was in more trouble than fathomable, Harry knew that the best thing to do was to tell as many people as he could about their late night meeting.

"And the person I saw across the street yesterday," he added, "wasn't Draco. I know that for certain."

"Why would he have your wand?" Edward mumbled. He walked up to the bed and picked slender piece of holly between his fingers, holding it delicately. "Are you sure it's yours?"

"Mhm," Harry nodded. "I… I haven't held it yet, but just being near it makes me feel strange."

"Try it." Edward held the wand out abruptly. "See if it's yours."

Harry backed away and shook his head. "I-I don't want it."

"It's okay." Edward's voice grew soft in an instant as he recognized the fear in Harry's eyes. "Just hold it for a second. If you don't like it, you can drop it. I won't let you get hurt, okay?" He reached for Harry's hand, bringing it up and then pressing the wand against it.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as his breath was suddenly knocked out of him. The room quaked and a swirling breeze picked up around him, whipping his hair around. The wand seemed to be ecstatic now that its rightful owner held it. The windowpane rattled and parchments on the bed lifted up with ease. A stream of red sparks flowed out the end of the wand without prompt, disappearing right before it could touch the floor.

Harry wrenched his hand away, staggered back and bumped into the wall unceremoniously.

Edward was gaping at him without inhibition. "It's… This is yours, isn't it?" he breathed.

Harry nodded without speaking. His eyes stayed fixated on the wand that Edward held tight. It really was his wand. It had responded to him eagerly. He felt a stirring inside his chest, an itch that made him uncomfortable. He kept his fists pasted against his sides. That was enough for today. It felt enough for a lifetime.

He hardly noticed his surroundings for the next few dazed moments so when he blinked and found himself sitting on the bed, he was thoroughly perplexed since he couldn't remember how he had gotten there. He looked up at Edward. "I, uh…"

"I thought you were about to faint again," Edward said sheepishly.

"Ah… Right… What better place to faint than in bed?"

"Right."

"Idiot."

Edward smiled at him and didn't respond to the jibe. "You should take some rest. I'll talk to Hermione and Ron when they get home. Is that alright?"

"I'd rather they yell at you than me, if that's what you're getting at," Harry drawled.

"That is what I'm getting at."

"Be my guest."

Unfortunately, Hermione was hardly satisfied with yelling at Edward.

Two hours later, the door to his room burst open and she stormed through with fury and a very confused Ron in her wake. "HARRY JAMES POTTER!" she shrieked.

Harry jolted upright and struggled out of bed dizzily, still disoriented from being pulled out of his complex dream. He blinked at them a couple of times while holding himself up against the wall. "Huh?" he garbled.

"WHERE IS IT? WHERE'S YOUR WAND?"

He had stuffed everything under his pillow before going to sleep. Maybe that explained his weird dreams. He reached out lethargically and pulled the cloak out. The wand rolled out from between the folds and landed on the floor.

There was sudden silence that greatly contrasted the commotion from before. Harry took deep breaths to wake himself up fully. Ron was shocked into stillness. Hermione's flushed cheeks were now pale and gaunt. Edward stood apart from the couple by the doorway, watching and listening carefully.

Harry bent down to pick up the wand gingerly, gritting his teeth as he felt a surge of energy course through him. He quickly placed it atop the cloak and held it out without saying a word.

Ron and Hermione stepped back in unison, their eyes widening in fright.

Harry frowned at them. "I… H-It's my wand," he stammered.

"Malfoy gave you the wand _and_ the cloak?" Hermione faltered.

"Yeah. He said he had to borrow it. I think he was lying," Harry mumbled. "I think he took them without asking. But that's alright because I can't remember. He gave them back to me, so it's alright." His thumbs brushed against the silky material. "What _is_ this?"

"Your Invisibility Cloak," Ron exhaled. "He had your Invisibility Cloak…"

Harry dropped the bundle. "My _what_? My Invisibility _what_? My _Invisibility_ WHAT?"

"It's your family heirloom," Hermione said as she crouched down to pick up the cloak and the wand. "It was your father's. It turns you invisible." She threw the cloak over herself.

"Whoa! Hermione!" Harry panicked when he lost sight of her.

"I'm still here. Invisible, remember?"

"Oh…"

She pulled the cloak off and examined it critically. Ron joined her as she ran her hands down the length of it, searching for any marks. She found nothing.

"Give me that," Harry said, snatching the cloak right out of her hands. He wrapped it around his shoulders. "GAH! Look at me! Magic is so awesome!" he crowed when he saw nothing under his neck. He pulled the cloak over his head. "Can you see me, Ron? I can see you! Can you see me?"

"Focus," Hermione muttered as she jerked the cloak off of Harry. "Draco Malfoy _gave_ these to you?"

Harry frowned at her and pulled the cloak back so he could hold it possessively against his chest. "Yeah. He visited me last night. He wanted to give these back, he said. He said I have to be careful. And then he left. He didn't do anything to hurt me. He didn't hurt me that time. Maybe someone _else_ hurt me." He stroked the cloak. "Maybe he had to hide. With _this_." He nodded as a scenario formed in his head. "Yeah, that's it. Maybe he had to take this to hide! There you go. He didn't hurt me after all."

"You're going back to Forks," Hermione said firmly.

"What?" he gasped. "No! I-I have to stay here! I've got-Teddy's-I-I can't leave now!"

Edward clicked his tongue, garnering everyone's attention. "We can protect you," he said. "We're immortal for a reason, Harry. We don't feel pain like you do. You're coming back to Forks as soon as possible."

Harry couldn't believe he was being ganged up on. He had never felt so powerless. Even Ron was looking resolute. "I-I don't want to go back," he wavered. "I don't… I don't know anything yet."

"Try to understand, Harry," Hermione said as she took his hand in hers. "You've been safe and hidden for the past two years, thanks to the Cullens. And until you're stronger, I think you should remain there. You have a lot to learn."

"Huh?"

"You want to learn magic, don't you? Now that you have your wand back, I guess you could start learning."

Harry stared at her in disbelief. "Wh-what?" he stuttered. "You'll teach me?"

"Well… not _us_."

"But I'll learn magic?" That was the important part of all this.

"If the Cullens are willing to put up with some guests, then yes." Hermione glanced at Edward. "What do you think?"

"Whatever is best for Harry," Edward said without hesitation. "Carlisle will say the same. Esme will be more than happy to help."

"Who's going to teach me?"

"We'll figure that out. When you can defend yourself, you can come back," Hermione assured him. "Until then, it's not safe for you. Until we find out who is doing this, you aren't safe, okay? It's time for you to go back."

That night, as Edward and Harry were packing up, Ron and Hermione were in the kitchen, preparing food and talking amongst themselves quietly.

"Maybe it wasn't Malfoy," she mused. "Maybe Harry's right."

"Then why would he be hiding?" Ron retorted. "Why won't he come in? If he saw who did it, why won't he turn himself in and talk to the Aurors?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I don't know what's going on anymore, Ron. We've been looking for Malfoy all this time and it turns out he's trying to _protect_ Harry? How is this even _possible_?"


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** I know, I know :P The story turned out to be way more intense than I intended it to be. I'm sure you'll enjoy this chapter. It's a short one and a lot happens, so keep your eyes peeled!

* * *

The Aurors were gathered around their cluttered meeting room, cups of burnt coffee in their hands and frowning at the statements sitting in front of him. Gawain Robards, their Head Auror looked like he had gotten no sleep. He had deep bags under his eyes and the harsh lines on his forehead had somehow managed to get deeper. His salt-and-pepper hair that he usually kept tied behind neck was hanging limp by his shoulders, still damp from his quick shower in the locker room. He obviously hadn't gone home in a long while.

Mulley pushed the report away with a frustrated sigh. "What are you saying, sir?" he asked for his team. "We've been going after the wrong guy?"

"What I am saying," Robards clarified carefully, "is that we may be looking at a different suspect for the bookstore bombing."

"Mr. Potter doesn't even seem to think that Malfoy was responsible for the _first_ attack," Landon argued. "We've got-"

"We've got _anonymous_ witness statements," Robards finished. He threw a stern glare around the room, silently indicating that he didn't like their tone of voice. Everyone shifted in their seats and looked away. "You all know that even if we do get a hold of Draco Malfoy, we have nothing to charge him with because we have _no concrete evidence_. All we have are anonymous witness testimonies. It won't hold up in Wizengamot. And now Harry Potter, who was the _victim_ of this crime, is adamant that we are looking for the wrong man."

"How could he know?" Olive asked. "He can't remember! He can't know, sir!"

"I know that," Robards nodded. "Which is why we are still looking for any leads on Malfoy, but we also need to keep our eyes open for any other suspicious activity because, if there is even a slight possibility that Harry remembered correctly, we don't want to find ourselves back at square one."

"So _other_ Dark Army members?"

"According to Harry, Malfoy was sure that the attacks would continue. If he has an inkling of an idea of this happening, then it must be part of the Dark Army's plan."

"He's only making himself look guilty by hiding," Mulley muttered under his breath. "Why the hell is he hiding if he's innocent? I don't buy it."

"You don't have to buy it," Robards told him. "But everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I know… A rather hard concept to grasp." His team laughed bitterly. "Look, I understand that… what happened to Harry was traumatic for all of you to have witnessed and I take the blame in being so quick to point my finger at a suspect. But as we gain more information we must be willing to adapt our scenarios and list of suspects. After being in the same room as Harry and listening to the things he said about Malfoy, I… I'm afraid we have been going after the wrong man."

There was heavy silence in the stuffy room for a minute.

"Goddamnit," Marty exhaled shakily. "His brains were practically splattered on the ground, man…"

Everyone cringed as the gruesome image of that night flashed in their mind's eye.

"We're always two steps behind," Olive said. She flipped through the pages angrily. "We're missing something. We just need to find it. We'll find the bastard who did this to Harry."

A murmur of energized agreement rolled through the room as everyone picked up their quills and started their debriefing, ready for a long day at work.

* * *

Teddy's heavy gasp nearly made him choke as he flicked his wide eyes from his grandmother to his godfather. He could hardly believe his ears. "What?" he exhaled.

Andromeda knelt on the ground in front of her grandson. "But you have to behave, okay? You will be their guest and they are being so gracious by allowing a little ruffian like you to stay in their home. You need to behave."

Teddy threw his arms around her and hugged her tight. "Thank you, Grammy!" He looked up at Harry from over her shoulder. "Thank you! I've never been _anywhere_!"

"You can help me with my magic," Harry said brightly.

"I'll help you _so much_!" Teddy then tucked his head down. "I'll miss you, Grammy," he whispered into his grandmother's ear.

"I'll miss you too," she murmured. "But if you're going to be even a little bit safer with the Cullens, then I'm happy to have you stay there for a bit, okay?"

"You should come with me. We'll go together."

"Hmm." Andy smiled and pressed a kiss against Teddy's cheek. "With you gone, I'll finally be able to get some work done."

"Aw… That's mean. You're mean."

She laughed at him and pinched his cheeks. "Take care of Harry, okay?"

"I will," he promised. "He won't get hurt _ever again_."

Less than a day later, the two of them were kicking slush off of their shoes as they walked up the stone slabs leading to the front door. Edward had already gone ahead of them, leaving the door open. Harry clutched Teddy's hand tight to make sure he wouldn't slip and Teddy hadn't stopped grinning for ages. Harry wouldn't be surprised if he found the boy grinning in his sleep.

"Cold, huh?"

"There's snow!" Teddy cheered. "I love it!"

Harry laughed as he ushered the boy into the foyer.

Teddy stopped short when he found himself facing the Cullens all of a sudden. "Oh." They were all so beautiful that he was stunned. He hung back and quickly snuck behind Harry's legs as soon as the man was in the door. Harry smiled at the Cullens warmly while trying to detach Teddy from his pants. but Teddy stayed put for long enough that he gave up trying.

Esme was the first to hug him. "I'm so glad you're alright," she murmured.

"Oh, you were worried?" he groaned in dismay. "I thought Edward would have-"

"That won't stop me from worrying," she interjected. "You're so brave."

"Not really," Harry mumbled.

Once he was untangled from the hug, he glanced behind him at Teddy who was busy biting his lip and flicking his wide eyes between each member of the coven. He picked the boy off the ground and held him. "_This_ is my godson, Ted," he said. "He's almost _four_ years old and he's the _smartest_ kid in the world."

"Not really," Teddy clarified for the Cullens' sake. "_Harry_ thinks I'm the smartest. But I'm not really."

* * *

Rodolphus Lestrange slammed his fist against the desk furiously. "You _cowards_," he hissed. "One man and you run back here with your tail tucked between your fucking legs?"

"He was _not_ just one man!" the two Dark Army followers cried out in unison. "His eyes were red and none of our spells worked on him. He was too strong for us!"

Rabastan Lestrange seemed to be only one in the room of ten men to find this whole exchange amusing. He laughed to himself as he leaned against the wall, paring his apple casually. His elder brother likened himself to the Dark Lord and it was always funny to see him get all excited over these things.

Rodolphus growled at his men to make them stop their groveling. "Then he was not human?" he snapped at them.

"No. H-he was like the devil. His skin was cold and hard. When he hit us, he could have easily broken our bones. A-and he said he'd do just that if something happened to Potter."

Rabastan hummed quietly. "What did I tell you?" His lips pulled up into a soft smile. "Potter has new allies now, Rodolphus. Even when he is weakened, he has power over the people."

"It's a fucking embarrassment if _Malfoy_ turns out to be the only person who has ever actually succeeded in maiming Potter," Rodolphus barked. "He was a worthless piece of shit and even _he_ managed to destroy Potter more than the Dark Lord ever could."

"Oh? Now you wish you had treated your poor nephew with kindness?" Rabastan mocked. His brother gnashed his teeth in response. "You see, Rodolphus, you were always quick to make enemies. I had always told you that Draco was an asset. You never listened. Now look where that's gotten us. He's gone into hiding and _we_ are that ones being hunted. Aren't you tired for being hunted?" He pushed off the wall and meandered over to the two men in the centre of the room. "This… creature," he said delicately. "What did you tell him?"

"We didn't tell him anything," the men blurted out. "We didn't have to. He read our minds. Occlumency didn't help. He read it so easily. We didn't even know he was reading it."

"Ah…" Rabastan was fascinated. "That is quite interesting." He pulled his wand out and pressed it against the temple of one of the men, pulling at the memory without permission. The man nearly crumpled as pain flared up in his head. Rabastan didn't notice because he was busy analyzing the memory, keeping his eyes on the ground so as not to get distracted. He broke the bond a minute later, his smile returning. "Fascinating… Thank you." He glanced back at his brother. "This creature seems to think that Draco was responsible for _both_ the attacks."

Rodolphus bristled. "Malfoy could have never pulled any of this off. He's always been a sniveling rat. He'd stab you in the back with a penknife, not go after Potter."

"Of course. I know that."

The men in the room shifted their eyes in unison to gape at Rabastan.

"It was me," the man shrugged.

Rodolphus tilted his head incredulously.

"Apologies," Rabastan conceded with a modest bow. "Draco practically led me to Potter that night. It was never my intention to find Potter, of course. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. Like I said, Draco had a few tricks up in his sleeve. And... that bookshop explosion was quite impulsive on my part."

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" Rodolphus exclaimed.

"I wanted to see what would happen. I find Potter very fascinating. He just won't stay dead..."

The silence that followed was heavy with disbelief and dread. Rodolphus was not often privy to the manic side of his little brother, but when he was, he was never prepared for it. "Why didn't you tell me?" he faltered.

Rabastan shrugged casually. "If I _had_ killed him, I would have told you. I didn't see the point in all the trouble if all I managed to do was rile everyone up. Since Draco is hiding already, no harm done, hmm?" He glanced at the two pale men who was shrinking into themselves in an attempt to hide inside their tattered cloaks. "But right now I need to find out more about this creature that is threatening us. He sounds very intriguing." He bit into his half-pared apple as he walked out of the room, barely noticing the stunned reaction he had left behind.


	20. Chapter 20

Two years ago…

Draco leaned against the damp brick wall and massaged his head tiredly. He blended into the night except for his pale skin and hair. He had discolored circles under his eyes from a severe lack of sleep and his face was gaunt from fatigue. Opposite him stood Harry, hands in his pockets and a stern expression on his face, one that made him appear older than he was by causing harsh lines to form against the corners of his lips and eyes. He too was dressed to blend into the dark, his dark shirt and trousers sticking to skin because of the light drizzle. Neither of them spoke for the longest time. Draco was just glad to be able to breathe this freely for the first time in a fortnight. Every moment he spent in the confines of the secretive Dark Army headquarters was a moment he suffocated under oppression. He wanted out. He just wanted to disappear.

When he had first approached Harry for help, he had been driven to near lunacy with his morbid thoughts and insomnia. He had actually fallen to his knees and begged, damning his dignity for the sake of sanity.

And Harry, being Harry, had agreed to help him escape from the hold of the mutilated Dark Army.

For months now they had been meeting in secret, arguing and talking for hours at a time in the middle of the night. Draco had next to no money, but that was hardly the problem. The issue was for him to get away from the Dark Army without being detected. He didn't care where he ended up as long as it was away from all this. He wouldn't be able to take much more. He hadn't asked for this.

He slid to the ground as he was overcome with panic, tears falling without his consent. He hated breaking down in front of Harry, but he had done it so frequently now that he couldn't be bothered.

Usually Harry would just wait around until he had gathered himself up enough to continue speaking.

However, that night, Harry crouched down beside him and stroked his hair.

He shook his head. He hated pity.

Harry didn't let up. "You're always so scared," he murmured as he patted Draco's arm. "Why?"

"You won't understand," Draco trembled. "You just… You can't understand."

Harry sighed and didn't respond. He didn't want to fight anymore tonight. He would have brought up the fact that he was risking his own reputation by doing this. But he figured Draco had enough problems right now. "Have you spoken with them about giving you some new assignments?" he asked. "Somewhere away from here?"

"Th-they don't trust me," he faltered. "I don't think they ever will. They hardly ever let me out of their sight. I'm stuck behind a damned desk doing their damned inventory and budgets, and I just-I can't anymore. I feel like I'm drowning."

A far-off crunch of a shoe against broken glass froze the two of them in place. Their eyes whipped to the end of the alleyway. Shadows loomed past the main street. "Shit," Harry swore as he whipped his Invisibility Cloak out and threw it over them.

A moment later, four men in black balaclavas sauntered into view, peering into the narrow alley with their wands out.

Draco pressed a hand to his mouth to quiet his loud breathing. Although he couldn't recognize their faces, he knew their attire. He looked at Harry with frightful eyes.

Harry pressed a finger to his lips and nodded reassuringly.

The men meandered into the alley, one of them whistling as he passed by. They walked towards the closed off are of the alley and then turned around to walk out. They seemed to be patrolling the area, which was very strange.

Thankfully they disappeared around the corner and their footsteps faded in time.

Draco sunk forward against Harry, feeling faint. His wild, racing heart was beating so angrily that it could burst at any point. "Whoa, hey," Harry murmured, bringing his arms up to hold him steady. "It's okay. They're gone. It's alright."

It took Draco many minutes before he was coherent enough to respond to Harry's soft murmurs. By then he was drained and shivering from the shock. If they were caught, he would be killed. It wouldn't be painless. It wouldn't be quick. It wouldn't be dignifying. He pushed down bile that was creeping up his throat. He didn't want to die. Not like this.

Harry had never felt this much emotion towards Draco before. He had seen into the young man's nightmare for a brief moment there. He was starting to understand his terror and desperation. "You _need_ to start counting on me," he insisted. "I know you're too fucked up to do anything like that, but you _have_ to start trusting me. Enough crying and enough hiding. Tomorrow you are going to meet me and you _will_ be coherent enough to come up with a plan. Understood?"

Draco nodded mutely as he pulled away from Harry and wiped his eyes. He couldn't handle any more tonight. He nodded again as he slipped the cloak off of him and stood up. He needed sleep now. He staggered away with his arms folded against his chest and his head down.

Harry stifled a sigh and looked away while rubbing his own headache away. If only Draco could tell him where the headquarters were. Then he could just alert the Auror team and be done with it. Unfortunately an oath bound Draco into silence about the location. All he could do was escape for a few hours a couple nights a week to meet with Harry. What kind of a life-

He jerked up to his feet when he heard commotion out on the main road. He recognized Draco's voice almost instantly and it was followed by a loud crack and jeering laughter. His heart dropped in despair.

Draco struck the wall with enough force to have the wind knocked out of him. He braced himself just barely as he fell to the ground. He was disarmed without much trouble after that and jerked back up to his feet. He was suddenly face-to-face with one of the masked men, staring into his mocking, hateful eyes. "Caught you now, Malfoy," the man growled. "Meeting with your pretty lady friend again, are you? That's the fourth time this month."

Draco was shoved against the wall and hit with a Cruciatus Curse before he could shout for help. He fell to the ground and curled into himself as pain shot through him, crippling his mind. So, even when he saw a bright flash and heard the men shouting, he couldn't comprehend it at first. The curse broke as the caster was distracted, though. He broke out of the agony and tried to sit up, dread crashing through him when he saw Harry slashing his wand with furious accuracy.

Two of the men were knocked out and petrified expertly. The other two were quick to recover after being stunned by the shocking sight of the Boy-Who-Lived. One of them grabbed Draco off the ground and spun him around, keeping a tight hold on his throat and digging his wand into his captive's chest.

Harry faltered when he saw Draco being dragged back.

The large man seized the opportunity to shoot furious hexes at Harry. Draco saw it in his mind before it happened, causing him to lurch forward reflexively. He felt nails ripping against his throat but he pulled free while screaming too late for Harry to get his bearings. Harry barely had time to flick his eyes at the visible sparks of red that were flying his way.

He was struck by curses that caused his wand to fly out of his hand and his body to drop to the ground from pain. He wasn't immobilized however. He just wouldn't stay down. All Draco wanted to do was shriek at Potter to stay the fuck down.

A sharp pain ripped through his back before he could. He gasped and fell as flaming heat paralyzed his spine.

Harry roared and leapt at the man with the dagger instinctively. The man swung the blade with practiced ease before Harry could blink. He staggered to a halt and looked down at the crude slash across his chest that burned viciously. He crumpled to his knees beside Draco in disbelief. He clutched at the wound that was bleeding heavily, rapidly weakening and poisoning him. His other hand quickly connected with Draco's arm and he curled his fingers hard enough to bruise.

The two conscious masked men remained standing and shocked into silence. Harry Potter was a sight they had never wished to see again, yet here he was wounded and disarmed.

The large man glanced at his boss. "What do you want me to do?" he rumbled.

Rabastan tsked and wiped the bloody dagger against his coat before sliding it into its sheath. It was a poisoned blade, something that wouldn't be easy to heal. But why chance it? "Just finish them," he ordered quietly.

His underling didn't show any hesitation. His black eyes were steely and hard, without emotion. He simply stepped up and grabbed the side of Harry's head in his hand.

Draco felt a surge of warmth bloom around his arm where Harry was holding him. It forced its way across his back to push away the pain and make his sluggish mind sharpen. He was finally aware of what was happening and he had a split second to react.

"Run."

He moved fluidly and in the span of a breath, taking off towards the alleyway. Harry's Invisibility Cloak lay discarded on the ground. He threw it over himself and darted to the other side of the street, crouching behind a small stone fixture of by a fence. He heard the men cursing as they chased him. He waited until they had moved past his hiding spot before jumping out from behind it and forcing himself to run back to Harry. His footsteps echoed in the night and the men turned in time to see movement on the ground. Their curses hit nothing as Draco had disapparated the moment his fingers touched the foreign wand.

The last thing he saw was Harry's bloodied, lifeless face crushed against the pavement.

_Run._


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** In all the excitement, turns out I've been forgetting the romance ;) Very well, sami1010220, Hierran, HauntedApple and SecretsOfaFanGirl. The romancing shall commence shortly. I just wrote a really naughty Chapter 25. It's got me all hot and bothered o_O

* * *

"Wake up, wake up, wake up! WAKE UP!"

Harry groaned and tried to swat at Teddy blindly.

"SNOW, HARRY! THERE'S SNOW!"

"There's snow _all the time_," Harry grumbled. "I wanna sleep."

"NO! LET'S GO! CHARLIE'S HERE!"

He opened his eyes in confusion. "Huh?"

Teddy was already pulling him out of bed. "Get your wand! Let's go! Charlie's here!"

"Charlie?" he exclaimed. He woke up properly in no time and scrambled out of bed, grabbing his wand off the bedside table before racing Teddy out the door. They jumped down the stairs and skidded into the living room excitedly.

Charlie Weasley was standing by the fireplace and smiling incredulously at the two whirlwinds that blew past. "Whoa, where's the fire?" he chuckled.

"Charlie!" Teddy squealed as he hurtled himself at the stocky redhead. Charlie caught him and threw him in the air much to his glee. "You're here!" He wrapped his arms around the young man. "You're going to teach Harry?"

"I sure am," Charlie grinned.

"Yay!"

Harry showed just a bit more restrained. He actually acknowledged Carlisle and Esme who were sitting on the couch before hopping over to Charlie and beaming up at him expectantly. "I've got my wand," he said.

"Shouldn't you eat something first?"

On cue, his stomach grumbled, causing Teddy to burst into loud giggles.

Over breakfast, Harry learnt that Charlie had some time off from work and he would be more than happy to help out. The whole teaching strategy was going to be a 'dive off into the deep end'. Harry was going to be learning everything in a matter of months instead of years. He was more than happy to work himself to the bone to learn at least an ounce of controlled magic. As he gobbled down breakfast, he found out that Charlie was studying dragons up in Vancouver, which was just a short distance from Washington, so he was able to take some time off of his evenings to come over. Teddy was all for it. Charlie was the cool uncle that almost never visited because he was always away chasing dragons and getting awesome new scars. Charlie was going to teach Harry transfigurations, charms, defense, and even some basic potion making.

"Since you're excused from school today, we'll just start with the basics right now," Charlie told Harry as breakfast was polished off. "How to hold the wand, the right stance, maybe even some homework." Harry wrinkled his nose. Charlie winked in response. "Don't worry. I'm a really hands-on teacher, so you'll be left with a sore arm after each lesson. There won't be too many essays."

"I don't like essays."

"I figured. No one but Hermione and Percy do."

"Percy," Teddy harrumphed while shaking his fists, performing an incredible imitation of George and Ron.

Charlie guffawed and tweaked the boy's ear good-naturedly. "This little devil's only going to get in the way, Harry. I'm warning you."

"No _way_," Teddy retorted. "I'm going to _help_ Harry. Just you wait."

* * *

Alice leaned against the car door, arms crossed on the rolled down window and head tilted at Edward who was buckling himself in. "What?" he murmured without looking at her.

"Be careful," she said quietly.

"Aren't I always?" He shifted the gears, prompting her to move back, and pulled out of the parking spot. He zoomed out of the school parking lot and disappeared down the road in the blink of an eye.

She tsked. It wasn't often that she was worried about him, but that morning was one of those times. She shook her head before turning around to meet the rest of her siblings who were standing by the front doors, looking as concerned as she felt.

The drive to Seattle was a little under four hours, which meant that Edward reached there in three. As he walked down to the West Point lighthouse in Discovery Park, his fingers absently handled the small parchment that had been creased and unfolded so many times that it was nearly falling apart. He looked down at the faint black writing.

_West Point, Discovery Park. 12:00 pm this Wednesday. I will be there for 1 hour._

He pulled his attention away from it consciously. The day was misty. He could barely see the water around him. The ground was slushy from melted snow and he was the only person strolling through the park. He couldn't figure out how he had gotten a hold of the note. When he unpacked his luggage the day before, it was sitting atop his clothes. It could have easily gotten lost in the depths of the bag. Or he could have just chosen not to agree to the meeting.

But his mind was so preoccupied with Harry that he would have agreed to anything at that point.

He stood at the vista point and tried to smooth out his troubled thoughts. Now that he was back in Washington, he was more at ease. This was his home and he knew it like the back of his hand. Harry wouldn't be in danger without him sensing it first.

He glanced back at the man who had been leaning against the stone façade of the lighthouse. "You don't want to talk?" he asked.

The man nodded once and pushed off the wall, taking measured steps as he approached. "Do you know who I am?" he asked.

"Mr. Malfoy."

"Right."

"How do you know who _I_ am?"

Draco suppressed the chill that ran down his spine, telling himself that it was the cold that caused it, not the sight of this… creature. "I've seen you," he answered, "at the hospital with Potter."

"Hmm."

"And… if I could find you, then it's not long before they find him."

Edward grimaced and looked away. He had feared as much.

"Thankfully they don't know your name," Draco continued. "What will you do then?"

"I'll do what I can to protect Harry," Edward murmured without hesitating.

Draco rested his elbows on the damp wooden slats of the barricade and closed his eyes while sighing loudly. "Alright, look… You dying won't do Potter any good. So try not to do that."

Edward stared at him incredulously. "Pardon?"

"Don't go around threatening random folks. That's what I'm saying."

They were silent for a while after that. Edward was just realizing that his impulsiveness had made him a target. So, by proxy, Harry was also in trouble. He gritted his teeth while mentally berating himself. He had let his temper speak for him instead of his sensibility. Three days ago, it had seemed like the right thing to do. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.

"What happened with you and him?" he asked quietly. "How did he lose his memory?"

Draco looked down at his damp shoes, already feeling unease well up inside him. "I'm… a Death Eater," he began. "Do you know that?"

"Yes."

"We used to go to the same school, Potter and I. Same year, different houses. We hated each other's guts. When the war started, we were on different sides. He won. I had to go into hiding with my family and everyone associated with the Dark Lord." He took a breath. "And… it wasn't something I wanted. It seemed like it was something I was born into."

As Draco spoke, Edward could hear his thoughts as well. Those thoughts told him so much more than what was said aloud. Draco blamed his parents for everything, at least superficially. As he talked about how he had gone to Harry for help, Edward also heard thoughts of fear and despair that had been plaguing Draco for years. He has no allies, no family, no trust. He's been running and hiding for so long that he had forgotten how to stand still. It wasn't often that this happened, but at that moment Edward knew that he was encroaching into an intensely private mind and wished he could switch his gift off at will.

"I never asked him why he agreed to help me," Draco confessed. "I doubt he would have told him. I doubt he even knew why." He shrugged weakly. "He's saved me before. From a fire…"

Edward kept quiet. His heart was heavy for Draco. He didn't know how a man could endure this much guilt.

Draco swallowed down his apprehension. "It was Rabastan Lestrange. He's the one who hurt Harry."

"Hmm."

He flicked his eyes at Edward and frowned. "Did you already know that?"

Edward had heard it earlier in Draco's thoughts. "No," he said. "How did Harry save you?"

Draco shook his head, as though still in disbelief of the incident that occurred over two years ago. "He used wandless magic," he said. "I was hurt, paralyzed. He used his magic to push the pain away, dissipated the poison. He told me to run. It's the last thing he said to me."

"So you ran."

"I didn't know what else… I-I thought he was dead. He was-"

Edward pressed a hand to Draco's arm to make him stop. "No, I didn't mean it like that," he apologized. "It's okay that you ran. He told you to run and you ran. There's nothing wrong with that."

"He wouldn't have run. He would have fought."

Edward knew that all too well. "Not everyone can be like him," he said. "He's… different."

"I know."

That's what the two of them had in common – their understanding of Harry.

"I'm glad you wanted to meet me," Edward told Draco. "I should have believed Harry when he told me that you were innocent. It's just that everyone-"

"He what?"

Edward blinked at Draco's confused expression. "Pardon me?"

"He told you what?"

"That you didn't do anything. He's… been telling everyone that," Edward faltered.

"Oh." Draco looked ill.

Edward realized that he didn't know. "He told the Aurors that they are searching for the wrong man," he explained slowly. "He says you're looking out for him. He won't blame you for anything. You need to know that."

Draco nodded mechanically.

"I can read minds…"

He looked up in shock.

Edward responded with a faint smile. "I can hear his thoughts. I can hear yours as well. I just want you to know that when I say I'm speaking for Harry, I really am speaking for him. I think he's much more forgiving now that he was before. He doesn't have any memories, so he doesn't quite understand how to hold grudges just yet." He tilted his head up when he felt warmth against his skin. The clouds were breaking. "Hmm… I have to go now," he murmured. He glanced down at Draco again. "If you ever want to speak with Harry, let me know. I think he'd like to see you again." He bowed his head and walked away from the lighthouse.

He had learned so much more about Harry from this one meeting that he had during their time over in England. He had been exactly the same before – stubborn and selfless. It was hardly a surprise. He fought for what he felt was right, even if it meant getting hurt.

He looked back over his shoulder. Draco was sitting on his haunches against the barrier with his face in his hands.

He hoped Malfoy could stop being so sad now.

He took a slow breath and looked forward again. Time to go back home.


	22. Chapter 22

When the younger Cullens got home from school, they were privy to a sight they had never in a million years thought they would see.

Harry stood out in the backyard, knees bent, left leg in front of his right, wand arm outstretched, and melted snow all around him. Charlie was sitting on a tree stump at the edge of the forest. As he flicked his wand, transparent targets appeared in midair. Harry's arm moved with precision and purple sparks shot out to hit the target. At the rate they were going, they did one target every three seconds.

Everyone had to admit, Harry looked _pretty_ spectacular at that moment.

"WOW!" Alice squealed and clapped her hands while jumping up and down. "You're so awesome, Harry!"

He jerked and turned around. "Oh!" He grinned goofily at them, which promptly shattered the whole image. "Did you see me? Wasn't that totally cool? I'm pretty great, huh?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes while Jasper and Emmett guffawed. Alice wasn't deterred though as she ran out and threw her arms around Harry. "So cool!" she agreed wholeheartedly. "You're a wizard!"

Harry laughed and squeezed her excitedly. "Charlie says I'm the _fastest_ learner. He says that I'm a natural. He says that I'll be even better than before."

Teddy was bouncing around them, not wanting to be left out of the celebrations. "He did! Charlie did say that!" he blurted out. "I heard him say that! I was there!"

Alice picked Teddy up and hugged him as well because she was feeling much too happy to resist the young boy's charms. "I bet you helped."

"I did!" Teddy nodded furiously. His head threatened to fall off. "I helped! I made sammiches with Esme! And I made hot chocolate with marshmallows! I helped!"

"Oh, I just want to eat you up," Alice cooed before pressing kisses against Teddy's cheeks.

"You can't eat me!" he squeaked. "Harry! She's not allowed to eat me! Can she do that?"

"She won't eat you," Harry reassured his godson while chuckling. He glanced over Alice's shoulder at the rest of them. "Bet you guys were super bored in school without me, huh?"

"We finally got some work done. Imagine that!" Jasper joked.

"Aw…" Harry looked pointedly at Edward. "I bet _you_ were bored without me, right?"

Edward smiled and nodded.

"So there," Harry told Jasper off.

In the meantime, Charlie was making introductions with the rest of the coven he hadn't met yet. When Edward explained that the Weasley was a dragonologist, his siblings had a hundred and one wondrous questions. They eventually resituated in the living room where Harry and Teddy were gobbling up cookies like no man's business, letting Charlie talk to his heart's content about his favorite subject in the whole world – dragons. Time passed with many fantastic magical stories and excitement. Edward made no mention of his meeting with Draco that day. For the moment, he was simply glad that everyone was safe and happy.

For the moment…

* * *

"This is Ted, my godson," Harry showed off proudly to his friends. "He's come here all the way from England."

"I didn't know you had a godson," Eric gaped. "Wow."

"I didn't know either," Harry laughed.

"He can't remember anything." Teddy thought it best to explain. "But he's my godfather for _sure_. _I_ remember."

"And how old are you, Ted?" Angelica asked.

"Almost _four_ years old," Teddy and Harry answered in unison.

The seven of them had met at their usual diner for some dinner. Since no one had been expecting Harry back so soon, they had a billion and one questions lined up for him. Once settled in, all eyes were on him expectantly. "You weren't supposed to be back until next week," Bella noted.

Harry had an explanation prepared, of course. He had rehearsed it for a while too. "I've decided to go back for longer after I'm done with school. There's just so much to do there and two weeks is hardly enough. But I've met everyone I wanted to meet, so it's all good. They said it's a great idea for me to stay here for a while until I'm done with school."

His friends were satisfied with that answer. "And who did you meet?"

"I have a girlfriend!"

'Ooh's and 'aah's were aplenty when he announced the new development.

But he was quick to squash their excitement. "She broke up with me," he continued.

"Aw…"

"She's _really_ nice though," he added for Ginny's benefit. "She's Ron's younger sister. We were going out in school for a couple years." He looked down at Teddy who was eagerly drinking up a vanilla milkshake. "Ginny's great, isn't she?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah! She's really nice! She always plays games with us. She makes yummy cake too. I like those."

"So you had a girlfriend," Mike murmured. "That must mean you weren't as awkward as you are now." He earned swats from Ashley for that comment. "Ow, what? It's a keen observation. I'm being Sherlock Holmes over here."

"I'm also _really_ rich," Harry told him with a frown. "So you better be nice to me."

The table grew silent as his friends processed that little quip. "Rich how?" Bella asked.

"I've got my own house and _loads_ of money in the bank," Harry boasted. "And here I was thinking I was poor. My parents left a lot of money when they died."

"I see…"

"What? That's cool, isn't it?" he pressed on. He was confused as to why they were looking uncomfortable. Teddy flicked his eyes from one new face to the other as well, trying to figure out why everyone was being so quiet all of a sudden. "What's wrong?" Harry urged.

"People don't usually talk about money like that, Harry," Angelica explained kindly.

Harry sat back and looked away as his brows furrowed. "Like what?"

"I don't know… Like how you were saying it? People don't do that."

"Why not? I'm just telling you I'm rich, right?" he argued. "What's wrong with that? I think it's great. Now I can pay for your food and for movies and stuff. You don't have to keep covering me. That's great, isn't it?"

"Alright, alright," Eric conceded with a light laugh. "It's alright. You can tell us all you want, okay?"

"You guys don't make any sense," Harry scowled. "Anyway, I've still got to tell you about Ron's _enormous _family."

After a long dinner full of laughter and carefully planned anecdotes (on Harry's part), everyone was thoroughly satisfied with their little soiree. Harry was going to see them at school the next day in any case, so he could tell them all about even more of the _fun_ things that happened in London then. So they said their goodbyes at the diner and parted ways. Harry still had some time to kill before Carlisle was done with his errands, so he decided to take Teddy to the local supermarket.

It turned out to be a poorly thought out plan.

He had, once again, lost Teddy in the shop. That was the third time in all of ten minutes. He couldn't take his eyes off of the kid for _one second_. He huffed in frustration and stormed back the way he came, which was towards the candy aisle. Teddy had an incredibly durable sweet tooth and with that came way too much hyperactivity. Harry had already said no to the chocolates, but Teddy was still fascinated by all the Muggle food around him.

When Harry got to the candy aisle, he stopped short. Teddy was examining a large bar of chocolate critically and he wasn't alone. Beside him, a young man was crouching on one knee, apparently giving his opinion on that particular brand of chocolate as though he were talking to some gourmet chocolate connoisseur.

"I don't like bitter chocolate," Teddy said while pulling a face. "Do you?"

"I don't either," the young man answered. His voice was soft and lilted quite a bit, indicating his expressiveness. He had a kind face as well, young and naturally tanned. The only definable feature about him was that he was rather big even while kneeling on the ground. He easily dwarfed Teddy. "I think it's one of those tastes that you grow into, you know?"

"You're all grown up," Teddy observed.

He chuckled with ease. "I just look it," he conspired. "I'm still a little kid. I grew up a lot all of a sudden."

Harry approached them a little hesitantly, clearing his throat when he was close enough for them to hear him. They looked up simultaneously.

"Oops," Teddy squeaked.

His new friend frowned at Harry as though trying to place him. Then his brows shot up and his eyes lit with recognition. "Oh, hey! You're that amnesia guy!" he exclaimed. "Ah…" He just realized what he had said. He snapped his mouth shut and his cheeks darkened. "Oops."

Harry laughed at them. "Yeah," he conceded. "That's me. And this is my responsibility." He jerked his thumb at Teddy.

"You'll like this," Teddy said while holding up the chocolate bar in his hand. "He says only grown-ups like it. You're a grown-up. You'll like it." He was obviously trying to get out of trouble by changing the subject.

Harry let him be. "I don't like bitter chocolate either," he winked. "Get me that one." He pointed at a much smaller package of small milk chocolate rectangles. "We'll share it with Charlie, okay?"

"Yay!" Teddy cheered. He had finally managed to wear Harry out. He grabbed the silver bag eagerly and brought it up to his face, trying to smell through the plastic.

Harry rolled his eyes at the boy's antics before looking over at the young man who was standing up now. "Oh, wow. You're _really_ tall," he noted.

"Yeah. Growth spurt."

"I'm Harry."

"Seth."

"Hi, Seth!" Teddy interjected. "My name is Teddy."

Seth looked at Harry dubiously. "He's your son?"

Harry was quick to shake his head. "Oh, no, no. He's my godson," he clarified.

"Oh, I see," Seth said. He smiled at Teddy who was already exploring more candy potentials. "He's pretty cool."

Harry chuckled. "Yeah? I think so too," he said.

"I _am_," Teddy said absently while reaching up on his tiptoes to grab a bag of gummies. "I _am_ pretty cool."

"Straight from the horse's mouth," Seth smirked.

"We'll get _this_ one for Alice and Jasper," Teddy suggested 'helpfully'. He was squishing the gummy worms between the packaging, trying to figure out if the candy was going to be soft or really chewy. He only liked the soft ones. The other ones hurt his jaw when he ate too much.

"Oh, they don't eat f-" Harry caught himself just in time. "Um… gummy things," he finished. He flicked his nervous eyes at Seth who was looking away dutifully, pretending not to hear anything. "They don't eat gummy things," he repeated.

"Oh, duh," Teddy responded. He smacked his forehead with his hand. "They don't eat. I forgot." He'd have to come up with another plan.

Seth physically turned away while pursing his lips together to stop from sputtering while Harry blushed so hard even his ears were burning up. "Teddy," he hissed angrily.

"Eh?" Teddy looked up at Harry in confusion. "What?"

Harry glared at him.

"Eep!" Teddy clapped a hand to his mouth and spun around to face Seth. "I didn't say anything!"

"I didn't hear anything," Seth responded obediently.

"Huh?" Harry blurted out. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't hear anything," Seth repeated. "Unless you wanted me to hear it… Did you want me to hear it?"

"Oh, no. No. No hearing," both Harry and Teddy said in unison.

He smiled at them in amusement. "Alright. You two seem pretty cool." He glanced back as though he had heard someone call his name. "Hey, I've got to go now. It was nice meeting you." He hesitated for a moment before shooting his hand forward at Harry, who shook it uncertainly. "I'll catch you guys later, yeah?"

"Mhm," Teddy nodded. He waved goodbye as Seth walked out of the aisle and around the corner, disappearing from sight. "Ooh, he's _weird_, Harry."

Harry was examining his hand critically. Their handshake had been strange. Seth felt so warm. "Yeah. He was pretty weird," he mumbled.

Seth loped out of the supermarket where the rest of his friends were waiting impatiently. "Seriously, man?" Quil exclaimed. "It's _freezing_ out here!"

"Sorry," Seth grinned sheepishly.

"Let's go," Jacob said as he rolled his eyes and jerked his head towards the parking lot where the car was.

"I met the amnesia guy."

His friends stopped short in shock.

"No big deal," Seth appeased them while ushering them forward. "Harry's not turned or anything. He looks pretty human to me. But I think he knows that the Cullens are vampires."

His pack stopped once again.

"Oh, come on, guy," Seth huffed. "I'm cold too." He continued to push them towards the cars. "He's got a godson. I think they're both living up on the hill with the Cullens."

"Shit," Jacob swore. "Dad's not going to be happy about this. How old's the kid?"

"I don't know. Five? I think they're alright, you know?" Seth insisted. "There's something about them. They aren't normal. I think they're something else. Like us."

"Unbelievable," Embry breathed.

"He doesn't know what we are, though," Seth added. "So it's _all_ good."

"It's not _all_ good," Jacob muttered as he jerked the car door open angrily.

* * *

"Then they got all quiet and awkward, like I had talked about kicking puppies or something." Harry picked at the throw on the couch moodily. "Do you know why?"

Edward kept his eyes on the CDs in his hands while suppressing a smile. "People don't usually talk about money openly," he explained.

"Why not? It's no big deal."

"It might be a big deal for people who don't have money."

"I wasn't saying anything _mean_," Harry argued. "I was just telling them that I could pay for my own stuff now. Isn't that alright to say? Mike always talks about how he has money to buy stuff because he works."

"What did you say _exactly_?"

He snapped his mouth shut and pouted. "Doesn't matter."

Edward tilted his head at Harry and smiled. "What did you tell them, Harry?"

"Nothing."

"You still need to learn tact…"

"Whatever." Harry huffed and got up in irritation. "You're no help at all." He stomped out of the room.

Only to stomp back in a second later. "Thanks anyway," he scowled.

"My pleasure."

* * *

**A/N:** Don't really know where I'm going with this chapter, but we'll see it unravel together, shall we? And no, there will be absolutely no character bashing in this story. In fact, I never write stories that are unnecessarily mean to certain players. I find it in poor taste.


	23. Chapter 23

The next morning everyone got into a routine. Teddy was being babysat by Esme and he was all for it. Harry and the rest of the younger Cullens arrived at school with some time to spare despite the awful road conditions. All the students was dressed in their winter best as they hurried through the parking lot to get inside their warm school. Then, as though nothing was amiss and Harry hadn't nearly been killed five days ago, things went as they had always gone – swimmingly. Harry struggled to catch up on the stuff he had missed, all the while practicing his new spells in his mind. He was glad to hang out with his friends again, but kept counting the minutes until he got to go home and hang out with Teddy. The teachers were more than accommodating as he struggled with the homework that he had obviously overlooked while away. So nothing much had changed at all.

After lunch, he was crossing the snowy courtyard with his friends. "You'd think I'd get used to everyone crying over me, you know?" he said animatedly. "But it's always so awkward! I mean, what am I supposed to do? Cry with them? Or just hang around until they stop? What would you guys do?"

Eric and Mike were too busy guffawing to take Harry's question seriously. Angelica hid her smile well. Ashley actually answered Harry's question. "I don't know," she said as she kicked past the chunky snow on the ground with her thick boots. "I'd just hug them, I guess."

"That's what _I_ did," he told her with an emphatic wave of his arm. "I mean, I'm _really_ good at hugging, so I just hug them until they stop crying."

Bella suppressed a giggle and kept her head down while Mike and Eric tried to reenact the scene that Harry was describing. Edward hung back, feeling rather amused as well upon hearing this strange conversation.

"You won't believe how many times I got my cheeks pinched," Harry continued. He patted his cheeks twice. "You'd think I was Teddy's age or something. Everyone and their _grandmother_ wanted to do it."

"Grandmothers are _supposed_ to do that," Angelica said.

"I guess," he grumbled. "It's okay, though." He planted his hands on his hips. "Everyone was happy to see me. That's all that matters."

Edward's attention shifted when he felt a slight change in the wind, causing him to pull away from the conversation and look up at the large tree they were approaching.

His instincts prompted him to reach out with both hands, grab Harry by the collar and Bella by the hand, and drag them back just as a huge hunk of snow dislodged from the bare branches above and plummeted to the ground.

There was an abrupt 'flump' as the snow landed on Eric, Mike, Angelica, and Ashley unceremoniously.

What followed was a series of angered shouts, terrified squeals, peals of laughter, and furious swears.

Mike and Eric were hopping from one foot to the other while cursing and trying to brush the snow off of their necks before it could drip down into their jackets and soak their shirts thoroughly. Ashley was shaking her head furiously and patting at her black coat that was now white. Angelica had slipped and fallen over in surprise, landing in the slushy snow on her bum.

All the while, Harry was cackling like a madman.

But Edward's attention was on Bella who jerked her hand away like she had been burned. She flicked her wide eyes at him as she backed up, keeping her cold hand pressed against her side firmly.

She knew… Somehow she knew.

Edward felt something akin to fear run down his spine. A moment ago she had been walking beside him. A moment ago her warm hand had been pressed against his. A moment ago she hadn't known.

The way she looked at him now-

He whipped his head around when he felt an arm wind around his shoulders.

Harry still hadn't stopped laughing as he watched Eric shout up at the heavens in theatric anguish. He was leaning against Edward with a proud smirk. "That was great," he said happily. "I think you're brilliant. My hero."

Edward suddenly felt a familiar sensation wash over him, displacing the vulnerability he had been experiencing a second earlier. It was the same sense of fascination he had felt when Harry had screamed at him and his family in his feverish stupor.

Then he let go of Edward as easily as he had clamped onto him.

Edward was too stunned to do anything but watch as Harry helped Angelica up to her feet and brushed the snow off of her head while laughing with her.

"Ah…" he exhaled. What was this feeling?

He looked over at Bella.

She had stuffed her hands inside her pockets and was blushing at her shoes. However, strangely enough, she no longer looked frightened.

He approached her carefully. "Bella?" he murmured.

"It's fine," she stammered without looking at him. "I won't say anything. It-it's fine." She was trying really hard to get him to drop the subject that hadn't even been brought up yet.

"I won't hurt you."

"I-I know that." She managed a miserable chuckle. "Y-yeah, I know that. Whatever. I think I already knew."

"Can we talk? After school?"

"I said it's okay."

"I want to talk to you."

She sighed desperately and nodded. "Alright. Fine." She had yet to look up at him.

He glanced away from her when he heard his name.

"Hey, Edward!" Harry called out. "Everyone's mad at you!" He started cackling again.

It took a few minutes to get everyone organized. By then the victims of the fallen snow had started to see the hilarity in the situation as they hurried towards the doors so they could get inside. Angelica and Eric made mild jibes regarding Edward's choice of which of them to save. Mike kept trying to shake his wet hair at Harry who dodged his attacks easily.

Bella didn't speak to anyone the whole way down the corridor and into the biology lab. She kept her head down in order to avoid any and all conversation. She pretended not to hear Ashley's whispered questions. She slunk into her seat as the class went on, dread creeping up on her because time was going by way too quickly. She tried not to think about what had happened and what was _going_ to happen. She tried to keep calm instead of fidgeting in her chair and drumming her fingers on the desk. She tried to imagine the food her father was going to prepare for the evening.

Unfortunately, as the last bell rang, everything came crashing down on her and she realized that she was about to confront Edward.

She felt sick.

Edward was standing by her locker as she made her way through the thinning crowd. His eyes were downcast, fixed on the cell phone he held in his hands. It was only when she started opening the locker that he looked up at her, as though just noticing. "Ah, Bella."

"Did you just want to talk here?" she asked.

He glanced around the hallway, noticing the students walking out the exits with their coats and scarves on. "Yeah. Here's fine. In a minute, okay?"

"Okay." She pretended to busy herself with her things when, in reality, she was only rearranging the textbooks in her locker in random order.

"How did you figure it out?"

She cringed. "I just-It… Internet. Books."

"I see."

A minute later, the hallway was empty, leaving the two of them to their own devices. Edward moved away from the locker and turned to face Bella. She was twisting the straps on her backpack frantically while wondering what he would do to her now. She didn't really want to guess. She never guessed right.

"What do you know about me?" Edward wanted to know.

Bella swallowed hard and took a shaky breath. "You never eat. A-and that day you… with the car… I-I never told anyone. Not really," she stammered. "You're so strong. Impossibly strong. And cold. Your hand felt like stone."

Edward wanted to rent his hair in frustration at not being able to read her thoughts.

"Your e-eyes change… I've… Sometimes it's black. Otherwise it's so much lighter." She scrunched her own eyes up and gritted her teeth while taking another breath. "Why do you keep looking at me?"

"Pardon?"

"Y-you keep looking at me," she said again. "I-I don't know why."

Edward was as surprised as she was.

Before he could answer, a loud bang on metal on metal interrupted him, indicating the opening of one of the main doors. They looked over towards the sound of echoing footsteps in the vacant school.

They didn't know why they were so astonished to see Harry peek around the corner.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Hey! There you are!" He hurried over to them. "What's going on?"

Bella had to quickly rearrange her expression, which was rather difficult considering the circumstances. Edward silently cursed Harry in his head for making things more hairy than it already was.

Harry picked up on both of their signals.

His smile waned. "What's wrong?" He looked between them out of concern. "Did something happen?"

"No," Bella rushed.

"I wanted to speak with Bella in private, Harry," Edward said none too discreetly.

Harry's lips formed an 'O'. Now his gaze was suspicious as he glanced at them.

"I should get going," Bella mumbled. She quickly locked up and turned to get away as quietly as she could.

That's when Edward realized that Harry could be helpful at that moment. Maybe Harry was exactly who he needed. He turned to the young wizard and said, "She knows."

Bella froze, as did Harry. "Knows what?" he asked after a deliberate pause.

"She knows," Edward repeated.

Harry and Bella looked at each other at the same time.

"AH!" They jumped back simultaneously. "You _know_?"

Edward wanted to breathe a sigh of relief.

Harry took over the conversation gladly. "H-h-h-h-how-how-how-B-Bella? Wh-what?" he stuttered.

"I don't know anything," she garbled while backing away.

"You _know_!" Harry exclaimed. "You know! How do you know? Did he tell you? Did someone tell you? Who else knows?"

"N-no one," she answered helplessly. "I just figured it out. How do _you_ know?"

"He told me!"

"He _told_ you?"

"Yeah!"

They blinked at each other in disbelief.

In any case, Bella was so much more at ease now that Harry was around. "A-are you-"

"No way!" Harry blurted out. "I'm no vampire."

She inhaled sharply.

"I _swear_," he insisted after misinterpreting her reaction. "Here, touch me." He didn't wait for her to respond to his prompt. He reached out and touched her cheek instead, causing her to flinch. "See?"

"S-so the Cullens are all…"

"Yeah…"

"Wow."

"I know." Harry laughed breathlessly. "Gosh, you're taking this _really_ well. I nearly went insane when I found out."

"Oh, yeah?" She managed a weak smile. "I internalize everything. I'm freaking out on the inside."

"It's better than screaming at them," Harry drawled. "I nearly punched Alice in the face. I'd have broken my hand doing it. So it's a good thing I didn't. And they don't hurt humans, okay? You don't have to worry about them. They're just like us, right? Edward's just like me, right?"

"Not… exactly," she faltered as her smile widened.

"Well, you know what I mean," he harrumphed. "So you've got nothing to worry about. Now you know more than most people, that's all. No big deal."

"Yeah… No big deal."

"Cool."

Bella stepped forward and hugged Harry uncharacteristically. "Thanks," she whispered.

"What for?" He laughed. "Don't be silly."

"Mhm." She pulled away from him and sighed. "Alright. I'm better now." She finally looked up at Edward. "I won't tell anyone," she promised.

"Thanks, Bella," Harry said.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Friday!" he cheered. "See you!"

She hurried out of the corridor on shaky knees.

Harry's grin quickly turned into a reproachful scowl. "You nearly scared her socks off," he scolded. "What was that all about? Seriously?"

"I know… I'm sorry. Thank you," Edward mumbled.

"Rosalie's going to murder you, man."

"You've got to save me from her too."

"No _way_. I'll be eaten alive. You're on your own for that one."

Edward smiled helplessly. "You're the best, okay?"

"I know that already," Harry huffed. "We're late! Teddy's going to throw a tantrum _for sure_. Let's go." He grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him towards the exit. "I'm telling him that _you're_ the reason we're late. He can yell at you all he wants."

Their fingers slid into place between each other, sending a strange flutter across Edward's chest.

* * *

**A/N:** SO CLOSE!


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Wowza, passed the 200 review mark. So awesome! You guys are the best!

* * *

Teddy rested his chin on Edward's shoulder and locked his fingers in place against the vampire's chest as he piggybacked a ride from the library towards the parked car. Esme had suggested the visit to keep the little one occupied at home when Harry was away and she was busy with her work. Harry had bags of borrowed books in his hands. Teddy couldn't wait to get started. He had never read Muggle storybooks before.

"What's your _favorite_ story, Edward?" he asked.

"That's a tough one," Edward murmured as he thought about that for a bit. "Have you read Aesop's fables?"

"Huh?"

"They're fairytales with morals attached to it. I'll show you when we get home. You'll have to grow up a bit more before you can read it though. Lots of short stories."

"I'll read _now_," Teddy said adamantly.

"Or you can read them now," Edward chuckled. He unlocked the car and opened the door for Harry to dump the books inside. "I daresay you'll be occupied for a while though, Ted."

Once everyone had settled into the car, Edward started the engine and they were on their way home again. Teddy was already settled down in his car seat with a book in his hand, studiously reading the words on the page.

"So… What's up with Bella?" Harry asked after a bit of hesitation.

"Hmm?"

"How come she knows?"

Edward had been dancing around the subject for a while, even in his own head. "Bella is… special. I can't read her mind," he began.

"Oh? How come?"

"I don't know. I've never met anyone like her. It's so strange not being able to tell what she is thinking. On top of that she's quiet as a mouse, so it's doubly frustrating. Also, ever since I met her, I've felt this… thirst."

"Oh no." Harry's brows rose up dramatically and he turned to face Edward. "That sounds bad."

"It happens, Carlisle said. Some vampires have a thirst for certain humans. I've never met anyone who has made me feel it before now. So whenever I'm near her… it's strange. I don't know how to explain it." Edward shrugged. "But it's gotten better over the years, now that I've been around her long enough."

"I see."

"Do you?"

"No. Not really. So you want to _drink_ her?" Harry pressed on in an attempt to get it straight in his head. "Like, straight up?"

"Straight up," Edward echoed in quiet amusement.

"And what's stopping you?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. What's stopping you?"

Edward shook his head. Harry really had no qualms about asking questions like that. "I've been controlling myself for so long," he tried to explain. "Maybe I've built up some tolerance. I would never hurt her."

Harry smiled at him abruptly. "I know. There's nothing to worry about."

Edward glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye. He had turned to face forward again and pulled out his phone to flip through the messages he had missed from his friends.

No more secrets, right?

"I _have_ hurt people before," Edward confessed quietly.

Harry stilled and kept his eyes on the screen of his phone.

"When I was turned, I couldn't follow Carlisle's way of living," Edward revealed. "I was… miserable. Angry. Hungry all the time. I hated being able to hear the thoughts of men who… had no morality. I started placing a value on life. There were good men who did good things and bad men who did bad things. I thought I was doing the world a justice. Four years of that."

"Enough," Harry interrupted.

Edward swallowed the torrent of words still caught in his throat. Emotions he had been suppressing for ages surfaced without prompt. He gripped the steering wheel tight. He was scaring Harry with talk of his past. As much as that saddened him, he understood as well. He frightened himself as he recalled the overwhelming power he had felt when he took human life, listening to their dying thoughts and holding them down as they fought for their pulse.

There was no more conversation in the car until they had arrived at the Cullen household. Edward stayed in the car, resting his head against the backrest and keeping his eyes closed, letting Harry got out and help Teddy into the house. He needed to compose himself again before he could follow. Jasper would be able to tell without fail what he was feeling and he didn't want that. It was hard to handle already.

Why had he brought this up with Harry? What had he hoped for? Did he just want someone to know? Did he want Harry to understand?

Somehow, what hurt the most was Harry stopping him from speaking.

"Hey."

He opened his eyes in bewilderment and looked to his right at Harry who had sat back down in the passenger seat.

"Tell me."

He would have cried if he could.

Harry had pulled him into a tight hug before he could take a second ragged breath. He hid his face against the crook of Harry's neck. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. What's wrong? It's okay, Edward," Harry comforted him. "I know you're sorry. Don't be sad."

"I've never talked to anyone. I couldn't. It makes me feel so much less than-"

"It doesn't make you less of anything," he interjected. "It makes you more human. To be angry and to lose control, it's… only human. It doesn't make you anything less."

"I thought you'd…"

"I'd what?"

"Hate me."

Harry tsked. "Why are you thinking sad things?" he scolded Edward. "You're my best friend, aren't you? I'm not allowed to hate you. I'll always listen to you, okay? Just… not when Teddy's in the car. Because that's weird."

Edward laughed wretchedly. "Right," he mumbled. "Tact."

"Yeah. Tact. You should learn some too."

"I will."

After many minutes, Harry let go of Edward and patted his cheek. "You're awesome in my books. Do you know why?"

Edward shook his head. "Why?"

"Because you're a good person _now_ even if you did bad things _before_. Right _now_, I really like the person you are. You're kind and happy and good."

"Just like you?"

"Just like me."

* * *

"Alright, Harry. Wand out. Back straight. Elbow bent. Deep breath."

Harry inhaled loudly and held his breath for a moment before letting it out. Then he nodded once.

"Whenever you're ready," Charlie said.

"_Protego_," Harry chanted as his wand moved in an arc in front of him.

A soft blue light spread from the end of his wand, working its way into the air and extending down to the ground and up towards the clouds. The translucent barrier separated him from his teacher.

Charlie nodded encouragingly and reached out with his own wand to touch the shield. It wasn't as sturdy as he would like it to be but it held up against gentle prodding. Harry's brow was furrowed in heavy concentration. This was the hardest spell he had ever done. He couldn't hold it for longer than a minute at a time.

He dropped his heavy arm with a tired groan. "Man, that's a tough one," he sighed.

"But you did well," Charlie praised him. "_Very_ well. Good job."

"Thanks," Harry smiled bashfully. He slid his fingers over the wand that felt warm to his touch. "Is this what I did at the bookstore?"

"Hmm?"

"When I stopped the glass and stuff, is this what I did?"

"Some variation of it, yes," Charlie speculated. "Not strong, but effective. A real shielding charm will protect you from curses as well as physical material. That's what we'll work towards, okay?"

"Sounds good."

It wasn't odd to hear strange noises from inside Harry's room, especially now that he had a brand new toy to play with and an audience to watch his performance. Often Teddy's excited clapping and chatter leaked through the closed door as well as loud thumps of books falling to the floor as Harry practiced his shaky levitation spells. Just a fortnight after he got back, he was already slacking on his schoolwork, favoring his magic homework over mathematics and chemistry. No one could blame him, of course. Magic was obviously much more fascinating.

Besides, the Cullens were otherwise occupied and hardly noticed the commotion upstairs.

The Quileute elders were causing trouble again.

It had started two years ago, when Harry first showed up and started living with the Cullens. Understandably enough, the elders were worried for the young man's safety. It had taken Carlisle many months to appease them, telling them about his patient's condition and the fragility of his mind. He convinced them that Harry required a very supportive environment to keep sane. Their arguments eventually died down when Harry started to go to Forks High, thus interacting with the regular public and calming the Quileute elders. As long as they could keep an eye on the young man, they were willing to begrudgingly let him live on with the Cullens.

But this new development of bringing a _child_ into a household of vampires was taking things a step too far.

"You should just tell them that Teddy isn't a regular human child," Rosalie muttered angrily. "That's the whole trouble, isn't it? They only care if we touch their precious humans."

"You know that can't be done," Carlisle said for the umpteenth time.

"Can you tell them that Harry knows?" Jasper suggested. "Tell them that we aren't deceiving him? That he's staying here because he wants to?"

"I want to minimize their involvement in this matter," Carlisle explained. "But yes, if worse comes to worst, he will have to do just that."

"He's lived with us for so long already!" Emmett argued. "What more do those dogs want? We haven't hurt a hair on his head, have we?"

"According to them, we are capable of hurting him, so we're guilty," Alice murmured, her lips pulling up into a wry smile.

"Harry?" Teddy mumbled without looking up from his coloring book that Esme had bought him. He was sitting on the carpeted floor of Harry's room while Harry paced beside him, reading a spell book. The two of them were oblivious to the meeting going on downstairs. "What's it like not remembering anything?"

"Confusing," Harry answered.

"Is your head just empty?"

"I guess…"

"Does it _feel_ empty?"

"Not really."

"What did Edward mean when he said he hurt people?"

Harry paused and looked down at Teddy. The boy was painstakingly coloring the small berries red, trying so hard not to go outside the lines. Harry knelt down next to him. "He's sorry he did it."

"He was hungry?"

"Hmm, yes. And angry. You get grumpy when you're hungry, right?" Harry reasoned.

"I do," Teddy said. He picked up a dark green crayon and started coloring the rest of the shrubbery. "He sounds sad. He doesn't talk a lot. But he talked a lot that day."

"Maybe he was feeling extra sad."

"I'd give him chocolates, but he doesn't eat chocolates," Teddy sighed. He finally acknowledged his godfather. "What should we do?"

"How about you draw him something nice?" Harry stroked Teddy's head. "He'd love it."

"Harry?"

"Yes?"

"I love _you_."

"Oh, Teddy," Harry groaned. He wrapped the boy in a big bear hug. "I love you too."

* * *

Edward was pulled out of his writing when he was suddenly aware of the quiet snow blowing against his window. He looked out to see large flakes falling against the dry branches. Soon it would be spring. This was the last snowfall of the year. He got up and decided to go downstairs to watch from the living room windows that showed more of the forest.

He found Alice pressed against the glass when he walked in and he smiled. She liked the snow too. He sat on the floor next to her and leaned his forehead on the pane. The flakes would melt before the end of the day. For now, it was perfect. Teddy was blinking sleepily with his head on Alice's lap, his hands tucked against his chest and his legs curled up neatly on the floor. Edward reached down and brushed his fingers against the young boy's cheek. Teddy murmured incoherently and burrowed deeper into Alice after sighing. Time for a nap. Edward went back to staring out the window. It was so hard to believe that each snowflake was different.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"Harry's out in the driveway."

He sat up straight in an instant. "What? _Why_?"

"He wanted to practice magic," Alice smiled.

"For God's sake," Edward muttered under his breath as he got up to his feet again. Why on _Earth_ did Harry have to practice in the _snow_? Was this another one of Charlie's regiments? He stomped out to the back and pushed the garage door opener to reveal the mad man.

Harry didn't hear the door crank open because he was too enthralled with the things he was doing. He was covered in powdery snow from head to toe and he faced out into the trees. His wand was out, held in front of him. He was making random patterns with it. Wisps of snow followed the wand imprecisely, as though attracted by the faint magic. He was making a motif that lasted less than five seconds each. He laughed in wonder as he stared at the moving trails of white. He couldn't believe his own eyes.

Edward could care less. "Harry!" he barked.

Harry whipped around in fright.

His wand followed course.

So did the snow.

Edward jumped back, but he wasn't nearly fast enough. He was hit hard. He blinked back the snow and looked down to find the front of his shirt and jeans pasted with a layer of white.

"Eep!" Harry squeaked and backed up. "Ah, s-sorry."

"You…"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" He took off towards the winding stone steps that led up to the front door, leaping up them two at a time to run away. He would hate to be around for longer than absolutely necessary.

When he did look back, unfortunately, Edward was right there behind him. "AH!" he screamed and tripped over his feet, ending up sprawled on the stairs. "Ow. I-I said I was sorry! You aren't supposed to sneak up on me! Th-that's rule number one," he stuttered.

"Rule number one is for you to not get hurt," Edward snapped. "_Are_ you hurt?"

Harry begrudgingly looked at his skinned palms and grazed elbows. "That's because you chased me," he mumbled.

"I did not chase you," Edward retorted as he knelt down in front of Harry to look at his hands. "You ran all by yourself."

"Because I knew you'd chase me."

"You couldn't have known that."

"Then what were you going to do?"

Edward didn't say.

"Hah," Harry huffed. "See? I know you."

"Fine, fine," Edward conceded. "Now let's go in and take care of this, hmm?"

Harry sat forward with his forearms on his knees and squinted through his foggy glasses. "But I was pretty cool right then, huh? Did you see what I did with the snow? Wasn't it even a _little bit_ cool?"

For just a moment, Edward was hit with heady disorientation. He was seeing things from outside his own body. Maybe it was from the sweet smelling soil around them. Maybe it was from holding Harry's soft, warm hands. Or maybe it was from looking into his dancing green eyes. Or maybe it was… something else. He felt so dizzy even though the snow was bringing everything into perfect clarity.

That moment was so fleeting. Too quick. He returned to his mind in the blink of an eye.

A quiet gasp escaped him as he felt cold lips against his. He blinked into focus. He was kissing Harry. That wasn't… That wasn't supposed to happen. He pulled back frantically, nearly falling down the stairs as he did so. "N-no," he stammered. "I didn't… I'm-"

His words caught in his throat when he heard Harry's thoughts.

Harry blushed brightly. "S-sorry," he managed to stutter out. "I thought… I thought…"

Edward stared in amazement.

He hadn't kissed Harry.

Harry had kissed him.

Harry winced and got up without looking at Edward. "I'm sorry," he faltered. He felt like he was going to be sick. His stomach churned and he had never felt so bad in his life. He could barely make it up the stairs. He furiously brushed his tears away, so very thankful that it was hidden by melted snow on his face. How could he have been so _stupid_?

He was jerked around before he could reach for the door and hard lips crashed into his, driving his breath away.


	25. Chapter 25

Edward cupped Harry's cheeks and kissed him furiously. Harry had kissed him first. Harry had wanted to kiss him. The taste of his lips was intoxicating. Surrounded by cold snow, Edward felt as though he was finally asleep, finally allowed to dream. His fingers slid up and tangled into Harry's hair, knocking his glasses askew. More than anything else, he…

He pulled away from the kiss and wrapped his arms around the warmth, wanting to drown in it. To hold Harry this way… He squeezed his eyes shut. This was all he wanted.

Harry was _so_ confused.

He was angry and embarrassed and happy and lightheaded and shocked and angry and _everything_.

He shoved Edward back so he could start beating at him with flying fists unsuccessfully. "You… you… You _poophead_!" he heaved out. "You suck, you poophead! You suck, you suck, you suck!"

"I know, I know," Edward said as he laughed and took hold of Harry's wrists to stop him from hurting his knuckles. "I'm sorry, I-I… I thought that I had kissed you first."

"What does it matter?" Harry all but shouted. "What does it matter if you kissed me first or if I kissed you first? You're the meanest!"

Edward pulled him forward and hugged him again. "I'm so glad you kissed me first," he whispered.

Harry sulked and refused to hug Edward back. He had thought that he was going to die of mortification when Edward rejected his kiss. He had never felt so bad in his life, not even when he was stabbed by glass. He buried his scowl against Edward's shoulder. He was the meanest.

Edward stroked Harry's back gently. "I didn't… want to force you," he struggled to say. "I didn't want to do that. I was scared to kiss you first."

"You aren't scared of anything," Harry muttered.

"I was scared of you pushing me away."

"_You_ pushed _me_ away."

"I'm sorry. I misunderstood. I didn't mean to. I would never do that to you. I…"

"You what?"

"I don't know what I was waiting for."

Harry finally lifted his head up so he could look at Edward. "Well, _I_ was just waiting to be as cool as you."

Edward couldn't help laughing once more. As cool as him? Harry was the most incredible person ever.

When they finally got back into the house, they were covered in snow and cold as ice. Harry stormed up the stairs as he was still irritated, but the mood was dampened by the way his feet squeaked on the steps. Edward stared after him, his smile never wavering. He was feeling criminally euphoric at the moment.

He flicked his eyes over to the living room when he heard a quiet cough.

Alice was leaning against the back of the sofa with Teddy in her arms and a knowing grin splitting her face. She jerked her brows up once. "So? How was it?" she asked.

Edward frowned at her abruptly and hurried up the stairs so he could change and get out from under her oppressive smirk. She had known all along. He wished she had at least _hinted_ at this.

But it didn't matter. As he changed out of his clothes, he went over the kiss in his mind. It was a little terrifying to know that one person could make him feel this way. This must be how Jasper felt when he first met Alice, like the world was such a beautiful place. He shivered uncharacteristically. Ridiculous. That's what he was being. If he could blush, he was sure that he would be turning a shade darker than Harry.

He knew Harry had every right to be angry. He was angry with _himself_ for being presumptuous. Why _hadn't_ he kissed first? Because he thought that then… he might have deceived Harry into it. He didn't want to do that.

It was a poor excuse.

Maybe the real excuse was that he had feared rejection. Maybe he didn't want to lose Harry, so holding him at an arm's length had been enough. Or maybe he had felt intimidated.

Whatever the reason was, it didn't matter anymore.

Esme noticed a change in Edward right away. "What's happened?" she asked as he walked into the kitchen where she was preparing hot lunch. She was talking about his dazed and disoriented demeanor.

"Nothing." He came to stand by her and leaned against the countertop to watch her cook.

"Nothing? Really?"

"Mhm."

Esme didn't press the issue. Instead she returned to the soup and occasionally cast glances at her son. He seemed to be undergoing some internal struggle, but it didn't look like a _terrible_ struggle. It was as though he was trying to find the right words. His eyes stayed on the ladle, following its circular motions, while his lips moved unconsciously, as though he was practicing sentences.

Esme started smiling after she had watched him for a few minutes.

"What?" he asked.

"I was just remembering," she said. "When Ron and Hermione first came here, Harry walked into the kitchen and did the same thing you are doing."

"What am I doing?"

"Trying to make sense of things."

"I see…"

"What are you trying to make sense of?"

He stared at her for the longest time, obviously reading her thoughts and maybe wishing that she could read his. Things would be so much easier if she could. "I love Harry," he finally said.

Esme frowned at him through her smile. "So do I…"

Edward shifted uncomfortably. "No, I… love him."

"Oh."

He now waited for her response. What struck him most was that her thoughts were hardly echoing any surprise or shock.

"I think I already knew that," she said slowly. "You told him?"

"Not in so many words."

"So many words?" she hummed. "Three words, Edward. Just three."

Edward felt so vulnerable at that moment. "He knows."

"I know he does."

"It's not bad, is it? To love him? It's not bad?"

They were interrupted by bounding footsteps coming from upstairs. It wasn't long before Harry appeared through the doorway into the kitchen, all smiles. He stopped short the moment he saw Edward though. His smile turned into that familiar scowl. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Talking with Esme."

"Go away."

Edward conceded with a short bow and made his way out the room. His fingers brushed against Harry's hand as he passed, just because he felt like it.

Harry spun around and aimed a kick at Edward's butt. Edward was faster and he didn't even look back as he dodge the blow, causing Harry to stumble forward. "You poophead," he growled under his breath before turning on his heel and stomping towards Esme. She could hardly hide her amusement as she spooned his lunch into a bowl. He hopped up on the counter and attacked the soup like it had insulted his mother. "He told you, didn't he?" he grumbled between his fifth and sixth scoop.

"He did."

"He's so stupid."

"He certainly is."

"He thinks too much."

"He certainly does."

Harry slurped the soup hungrily. It warmed his belly up just right. "Well, he should _stop_ being so stupid."

"He's always been wary of humans," Esme tried to explain. Harry looked up at her. "He's hated the fact that people are attracted to him because of the way he looks or speaks. Unlike him, Alice and Rosalie love that fact. I think even Emmett likes the attention. But Edward was never one for show. He's always had a hard time connecting with others. Hearing their thoughts has made it so difficult for him. He feels guilty, being able to understand how their minds work. But you… I think he knew you were special as soon as he met you in the hospital. You are his first real friend."

"That's enough," Harry sighed. "I'm supposed to be angry with him. You should stop talking now."

"Very well," Esme laughed. "I've stopped."

"He's stupid."

"Mhm. He most certainly is."

That evening, Edward was downstairs with Teddy, sitting on the floor with books spread all around them. Even with all those distractions around, the young boy had more important matters to talk about. "Harry's mad at you," he frowned in reproach. "Why?"

Edward looked down sheepishly at the book in his hand. "Well, I… did something silly," he hesitated.

"Like what?"

"I can't tell you."

"Aw," Teddy whined. "Something you weren't _supposed_ to do?"

"Right. And now he's angry with me because of that. What did he tell you?"

"He told me that you're a poophead."

"Ah, see… That's not a nice thing to call someone, Teddy."

"I know that. It's what _he_ said. I didn't say it. And he said _you're_ a poophead."

"Yes, I heard you the first time."

An hour later, Teddy was fast asleep and Edward carried him up the stairs to put him to bed. It was nine and that was way past his bedtime, though the boy hardly kept his bedtime now that he was on 'vacation'.

Edward knocked on the door to Harry's room but was met with no answer. He waited a minute before walking in hesitantly. He found Harry passed out in bed with homework scattered about. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised to stumble upon this scene. Harry slept whenever possible.

He laid Teddy down on his small cot and tucked him in. The boy grabbed at his stuffed lion without much prompt and hugged it close while falling into deeper sleep. Edward hovered a soft kiss against his cheek before straightening up and glancing over to the bigger bed.

Harry had been lost inside a maze of carbon and nitrogen bonds for what seemed like hours and hours now. He had been attempting to dig his way out of there when he felt a cold touch on his arm.

His eyes fluttered open. He had lost his glasses when he fell asleep, but he could make out Edward's features. His brows furrowed as he flipped over onto his back and pointed an accusatory finger upwards. "You aren't allowed in my room, poophead," he slurred sleepily.

"I know," Edward murmured. "Teddy's asleep." He picked up a piece of loose leaf absently. Harry closed his eyes without saying a word. He was so very tired after the excitement of the day. Edward sat on the edge of the bed while reading the messy writing on paper in his hand. "Chemistry?"

"Hmm."

"Did you finish your homework?"

Harry scowled as he opened his eyes again. "You're so mean," he grumbled. "I'm _trying_ to sleep."

"It's only nine."

"That's time to sleep." Harry threw an arm over his eyes. "I don't get chemistry. It gives me bad dreams _all _the time."

"Want me to help you with it?"

"You'll just make me feel stupid."

"I'll try not to."

It wasn't long before Harry was bent over double in front of his notebook with a pencil in his hand and Edward sat next to him, showing him how to calculate energy outputs for combustion equations.

"But it doesn't make any sense," Harry argued. "If you're letting _out_ heat, why is it negative? It should be positive!"

"No," Edward said patiently. "_This _denotes the standard enthalpy change. The standard enthalpy change of _formation _is positive. In order to _make_ propane you need to put _in_ energy into the system. That way you can create bonds. But when you are combusting propane and splitting it into its parts, you are _releasing_ that energy into the surroundings. That's the standard enthalpy change of _combustion_. You're_losing_ energy, releasing it as heat. So negative."

"Oooh…"

"Try the next one."

"Why are you so smart?"

"Because I've got nothing better to do than learn these things."

"Is it sad? Living forever?"

"Hmm. It can be."

Harry did the next textbook exercise without saying a word, coming up with the correct answer now that he understood what he was supposed to be doing. He underlined his answer twice before putting his pencil down firmly. "But you aren't sad right now, are you?" he wanted to know. "You're happy when you hang out with me, aren't you?"

There was so much Edward wanted to say at the moment. He had too much to say… He rested a hesitant hand over Harry's. "You're my best friend, remember?" he said.

Harry slumped in defeat. "That's not fair," he mumbled. He shifted to press up against Edward. "You won't even let me be mad at you for one day?"

"No." Their fingers tangled together as Edward tilted his head down and kissed Harry gently. The response to his gesture was eager so he pressed on, twisting around and bearing down until they were sinking into the messy bed. Harry ended up on his back with Edward hovering over him. He managed a shaky breath before it was stifled by another kiss that was so much more, so much heavier. Edward had his fingers curled around Harry's thick hair so they could hold steady against each other as their lips parted. Harry let out a strangled gasp when he was suddenly struck by a chill that sent a quiver down his spine. His knees drew up to squeeze Edward's waist and his toes dug into the bed sheet. He had never experienced such intimacy. He melted against each frozen touch, not knowing how to respond.

Edward nearly swooned when Harry curled upwards, practically wrapping him up in warmth. His mind was a mess of so many thoughts that he couldn't distinguish his own. Before he knew it, his free hand was trailing down between them.

Harry jerked and broke the kiss by flinging his head to the side. "No. Stop," he rushed.

Edward froze dutifully, becoming still has a statue.

"Don't," Harry breathed. His eyes scrunched up and he struggled to calm down.

Edward was confused. He stared down at Harry's flushed face while trying to pull apart his thoughts. Had he done something wrong?

That's when he heard another soft voice in his head.

"Ah," he murmured and looked to his right at Teddy who was sleeping soundly. He had forgotten about tact yet again.

So he rolled off of Harry with silent ease and grabbed his hand, tugging him off the bed. Harry followed in astonishment. Edward flicked the lights off in the room before exiting it, making sure to leave the door open an inch after Harry had come out. Then he walked into the room next door, his bedroom. As soon as Harry was inside, he captured those warm lips against his, starting where they had left off. Harry squeaked a small protest but offered no physical resistance. They weaved towards the couch, falling onto it as quick as they could.

"Y-you aren't allowed to read my mind."

"I can't stop."


	26. Chapter 26

"Boy, that was weird last night," Alice said casually as she passed Edward in the stairwell.

He caught her arm and spun her around, his expression turning murderous. He didn't have to say a word. She stuck her tongue out and attempted a sheepish shrug to show her concession. He let go of her after gritting his teeth a few times. "Does that happen with you?" he muttered sullenly.

"What?"

He shifted his weight and clasped his hands behind his back. "Where you… don't know if you're seeing the present or the future? It all bleeds together? When you're with Jasper?"

"When you get caught up in the moment, it happens," she smiled.

"I couldn't think. It was like his thoughts were my thoughts," he tried to explain. "I felt good when he felt good. I did what he wanted me to do because I thought that's what _I_ wanted to do."

"Isn't that alright?"

"I don't know."

"If doing what he wants to do makes you feel good, isn't that alright?"

He stared at her for a beat before nodding hesitantly.

"There you go," she beamed. "About time too, I might add. I was going crazy."

"Please. You're embarrassing me."

"Oh… Am I?" she asked in mock concern.

Edward harrumphed before walking away from her in irritation. She knew all the right buttons to push and it was infuriating.

"Boy, that was weird last night."

Harry spun around to look at Alice in horror. "I-I-I-I-Oh my gosh." He had forgotten about her. In fact, he had forgotten about everyone else in the house. "Oh no."

She wiggled her brows impishly. "So? Was it everything you had imagined?"

"Oh no, Alice," he groaned. He pressed his hands to his flushed cheeks and scrunched his eyes shut. "Please?"

"You're _too_ cute," she cooed. She flitted forward and hugged him quickly. "Don't worry about it. Rosalie and Emmett were away hunting and Carlisle was at work. Jasper already knew because… well, I don't keep secrets from him. And Esme is _very_ discreet."

"It was really weird," he rushed to say. "Edward was really weird."

"He couldn't tell your thoughts from his," she explained. "He's never been with anyone before. He just needs to learn to keep track of his mind. He'll figure it out. Give him some time."

"It was really freaky."

"Yeah. Sure was."

"Aw! Alice!"

She giggled and sidestepped his kicking foot. "I'm glad for you two," she winked before disappearing from the corridor, leaving Harry to bang his head against the wall in misery.

The tension between them wasn't lost on their friends either. None of them were brave enough to say anything to Edward, but they did notice the fact that Harry was staying as far away from him as possible. He was interacting with everyone else to take care of the awkward silence.

Edward hardly noticed.

He was trying to understand the way his mind worked. In all the years he had had his gift, he had never sat and really thought about it. He had never felt an instance where someone else's thoughts had overpowered his own. This was a first. So he would have to figure out a way to partition his mind from Harry's if... Well... He had to make sure he recognized his own inner voice and could differentiate it from Harry's.

Angelica couldn't take it when Harry plopped himself down at _their_ table instead of sitting with the Cullens as he had done for the past two years.

"What the heck, Harry?" she exclaimed.

He jerked and nearly upset his open bottle of orange juice all over her. "Wh-huh?" he stammered.

"Why are you sitting with us?" she demanded to know.

"Uh, because I want to," he lied poorly.

"Did you fight with Edward or something?" Eric asked. "You haven't talked to him all day."

"I don't _have_ to talk to him," Harry scowled. He had never really realized how much of his time he spent with Edward until that day. "I talk to him all the time at home. I don't have to talk to him at school as well."

Edward sank into his chair while his siblings glanced at each other as they overheard Harry's heated words.

"So you _are_ fighting," Ashley mumbled. She threw a furtive glance at the table by the back. "About what? What did he do?"

"Nothing! What's _wrong_ with you guys? I'm not angry!"

Everyone raised a brow at him.

He simmered down. "I'm not angry," he repeated in a much calmer tone. "I just felt like hanging out with you today. That's all."

Rosalie and Emmett narrowed their eyes at Edward. "What's that about?" they asked in unison.

"Nothing," he mumbled guiltily.

"Alice?"

"Nothing," Alice answered.

"Jasper?"

"I don't know."

"Edward?"

"I said it's nothing. We aren't fighting." He quickly collected his things and stood up to get away from the couple's increasingly inquisitive glares. The last thing he wanted was for Rosalie to yell at him for corrupting her precious Harry. He didn't dare look back as he walked away with his head down.

So he didn't notice Harry following him with his eyes.

Where Harry looked, his friends looked as well. They barely caught Edward disappearing around the corner. "Oh?" they murmured amongst themselves.

"Crap," Harry mumbled. He shot up from his seat and hurried out of there while ignoring quizzical exclamations.

Edward's mind was occupied with excuses to give Rosalie and Emmett and, as he opened up his locker, he was wondering if pleading insanity would get him out of trouble.

"Edward?"

He turned around in amazement and found himself facing Harry. "What's wrong?" he asked out of concern.

Harry blinked at him. "Nothing. What's wrong with _you_?" he asked in turn.

They stared at each other blankly for a moment.

"Nothing's wrong with me," Edward finally replied slowly. "Does it seem like something's wrong with me?"

"You left the cafeteria alone... That's… I thought… something was wrong."

"Oh!" He understood. "Oh no. I'm sorry," he rushed to say so he could ease Harry's worries. "I was just… I didn't know what to tell Rosalie and Emmett, so I was… running away."

"Ah…"

"That's all. Nothing's wrong."

Harry scuffed the floor with his shoe while appearing much too guilty. "I'm not angry with you," he sulked.

Edward didn't know what to say. He was caught off guard by the statement that seemed to come out of nowhere.

"I thought you heard me talking." Harry twisted his fingers together glumly. "I thought maybe you felt bad."

Edward smiled and leaned against the locker while shaking his head. "Of course not," he said. "You didn't say anything bad."

"So you _did_ hear me."

"Hmm."

"I'm not angry with you," Harry insisted. "Not that much."

"It's okay."

"I just… don't know how to be around you right now."

"Understandably so."

Harry exhaled loudly and disentangled his fingers from one another. "Actually I _do_ know how to be around you," he corrected himself. "It's just weird thinking things like that about you."

Edward's eyes widened. "Oh… Um…"

"But I'm trying really hard not to think it," Harry continued. He took one more step back and nodded dutifully. "I will control my hormones and then you won't feel bad anymore."

"I _don't_ feel bad," Edward interjected. "You aren't making me feel _bad_, Harry. You're making me feel-"

"Ah!" Harry broke in, clapping his hands over Edward's mouth hurriedly. "Nope. Don't say it."

"I was going to say happy," Edward said into Harry's palms, his words coming out muffled.

"Oh…" Harry blushed and pulled his hands back. "Right. Happy."

"Wait, what did you think I was going to say?"

"Nothing. That's what I thought you were going to say. I should go back." Harry turned on his heel.

Edward pulled him around and made him face the right way. "Tell me," he urged. He rested his arms against Harry's shoulders. "I think I want to hear you say it."

Harry had dropped his self-conscious gaze and was using his nervous fingers to tug at the hem of Edward's shirt. "I was going to say happy too," he mumbled.

"No, you weren't."

"I was."

"No. I know what you were going to say."

"No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be asking me."

Edward pulled his arms in, dragging Harry forward as he did so, until their noses were touching lightly. "Tell me."

Harry couldn't help his embarrassed smile. "I'm not saying a word. You're a poophead."

It made Edward smile as well. "Yeah, I know." His fingers brushed against the nape of Harry's neck. "You make me feel-"

He was silenced by a fierce kiss.

He inhaled deeply and steeled himself as his mind was assailed. There it was, Harry's rolling, thundering thoughts. None of it made sense, as always. It was a jumble of words and discernible sounds. He fought to keep a strong hold on his own consciousness. He tried to stay awake and aware of the way Harry's hands were moving up his stomach, then his chest and finally to his shoulders, caressing him eagerly. He tried to focus on Harry's lips that were still clumsy, still learning how to be intimate, still coaxing. He tried…

He tried…

But he was swept away.

Gladly.

Hopelessly caught.

He was lost in Harry's thoughts… Thoughts about the kiss, about the feel of his lips, where to move, when to breathe, how to touch, to sigh, to love, everything…

"Oh dear."

Harry wrenched away in a panic and Edward opened his eyes in awe. They gazed at each other for a moment to catch their bearings before suddenly realizing where they were.

Harry whipped his head to the side, his jaw dropping when he saw his friends standing at the other end of the corridor. He stumbled away from Edward, his arms propelling wildly when he tripped over his feet. "N-no, it's not what it looks like," he blurted out.

Eric and Ashley discreetly moved their phones down.

"Did you take pictures?" Harry gasped.

"No," they said.

"Give me those!"

They took off in the opposite direction while bursting into hysterical laughter.

"PERVERTS!" Harry gave chase, leaving Edward behind to fend for himself against the strange looks he was getting from Bella, Mike, and Angelica. They shuffled around awkwardly for a second.

"That was interesting," Mike said to break the silence.

"Yeah," Angelica mumbled. She wasn't sure if interesting was the word she'd have chosen.

"So you two are…" Mike trailed off.

Edward didn't know what to say. "It's… not what it looks like?"

Angelica and Bella glanced at each other and shared a private, silent conversation while Mike scoffed and rolled his eyes. But they didn't pressure Edward. They walked back to the cafeteria instead to avoid the awkward atmosphere.

Edward sighed and rested the back of his head against the locker. Whenever Harry was near him, everything became a whirlwind. He lost himself in it. He closed his eyes as a faint smile played against his lips. He lost himself in happiness.

In math class, Harry was furiously going through Ashley's phone and deleting the five stupid pictures she had taken, all the while muttering curses under his breath. Edward kept his head down and did word problems in his notebook so no one would want to talk to him.

Angelica leaned towards Harry. "When did this happen?" she whispered.

"Nothing happened," Harry spat at her. "Go away. You suck. All of you are the worst friends ever." He looked up at the rest of them nastily. "I don't want to talk to you ever again." He shoved the phone back in Ashley's hand.

"I didn't even know you two were gay," she grumbled as she pocketed her phone begrudgingly.

"I'm _not_ gay," Harry snapped. "I just like-" His teeth snapped together loudly.

"Ooh," his friends hooted in unison.

"No! I didn't say _anything_!"

Edward rested his cheek against his hand and physically turned away from the conversation, feeling much too embarrassed to even look at them.

"It's not what it looks like, alright?"

"Oh, really?" Angelica and Ashley asked.

Harry stuck his chin out in defiance. "Nope. Not what it looks like," he maintained.

"Want to know what it looked like?" Eric taunted.

"Why are you guys being so mean?" Harry whined. "I didn't _do_ anything."

"You _lied_!" Mike exclaimed. "You said you were mad at Cullen."

"I said I _wasn't_ mad at Edward!"

"But the way you said it seemed like you actually _were_. Then we see you two… in a _very_ compromising position and you-"

Harry chucked his book at Mike before slumping forward onto his desk and hiding behind his arms. "Everyone's so mean to me," he mumbled under his breath, knowing Edward could hear him.

Edward didn't respond. He'd rather save face than comfort Harry at that moment.

There were many things running through his head since the events of the previous day. He wondered about his emotions and whether they mirrored Harry's so much so that even their thoughts were merging. He wondered what would happen tomorrow, and the next day, and a month from now, years… even after. Harry grew older as he stayed the same. His soft skin, bright grin, gasps, whispers, laughter, love. How to explain, what to say, where to begin? Harry would have to hide again. Fight again. Get hurt again. Die again?

He jerked back to the present as a loud rap against his desk pulled him out of his troubled thoughts. He looked up at Harry who was shouldering his backpack and frowning disapprovingly. "What're you daydreaming about?"

Harry. What else? Edward smiled up at him.

"Ack," Harry waved him off out of irritation. "Don't tell me. We have to go to our next class."

They were the last ones to leave the classroom. Harry kicked his feet against the linoleum floor and fumbled with the books in his hands as they walked to their chemistry lab. Edward could hear his frustrated thoughts about combustion calculations, Mike's annoying voice, and how awfully wet it was outside.

"Hey."

"Hmm?" Harry murmured.

"I was daydreaming about you."

He staggered to a halt and promptly turned bright red. He must have blushed more times in the past two days than he had in his entire life. He gaped at Edward as his mind blanked. He didn't know what to say.

"I wanted you to know that."

Harry deflated right then and there, his shoulders hunching forward, head hanging down, knees buckling slightly, and his arms clutching his books tight to his chest. "Whatever," he mumbled and then shuffled away.

His thoughts hardly reflected his outward demeanor, however. In fact, it was almost exactly opposite to his reaction.

"Poophead."

Edward chuckled as he fell in step with Harry. He'd likely never get rid of that name.

* * *

**A/N:** So, now that we've practically fallen headfirst into this new thing, I wanted to let you guys know that I _love_ to write about love. That means that you'll find a lot of overly saccharine situations that _might_ make you cringe. I'm an addict.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** Oh wow, thanks for the **energize w.i.p. award **nomination! That's super sweet of whoever nominated this story. You make me blush!

* * *

Both Edward and Harry knew that the best thing to do to avoid getting into any more awkward situations was to avoid each other. Take a moment to collect their scattered brains. Try to figure out what to do next. Just stay away from each other.

Harry scrutinized himself in the mirror after washing off the last bit of shaving cream from under his chin. He supposed he was kind of good looking if he didn't wear his glasses. He squinted and leaned over the sink. He still looked like a little kid, especially after he shaved. He glanced up at his damp hair that was pasted over his forehead. Maybe he could do something about that. It was always abysmally messy and no amount of combing did anything. Maybe he could gel it like Edward did. He brushed the hair back, revealing his scar. He didn't like it. He didn't like any of the scars on his body. He rubbed at his forehead while frowning. Why couldn't magic make that go away? Probably because magic had _caused_ them in the first place. All of the scars he had were magical. He wasn't normal at all.

He tugged at his nose, wishing it were longer and not so squishy. Edward had a nice nose. It felt nice against his cheek when they kissed.

"Ack." He slapped himself in the face.

Unfortunately, that hardly pushed the thought out of his head. He sighed and dropped his hand against the edge of the sink. Edward really liked to kiss. Or was it him who liked to kiss? It was all very confusing. He pursed his lips, then pulled a face. He didn't look good when he did that. Edward looked good when he kissed. In fact, Edward looked good _all_ the time. It was hardly fair. Harry patted his hair down. He wanted to look good too.

Edward turned up the music and pressed his hands against his headphones while closing his eyes. He really wished Harry would stop thinking these things.

Harry grabbed his glasses off the counter and shoved it against his face. It was still foggy from the steam. He smiled experimentally. He looked better when he smiled. So he'd just keep smiling.

Edward probably liked his smile.

"Ack." He slapped himself again.

"Harry's been in there for a _long_ time," Teddy realized as he passed by the bathroom with Alice in tow. "Is he sick?"

She smiled at the boy and winked. "He needs his mirror time."

"I heard that!" Harry called out from inside.

"I know you did," she answered.

Harry frowned at his reflection. He just wanted to look good. What's so wrong with that? Was it his fault that vampires didn't have to take care of their appearances? No. It wasn't his fault at all. He harrumphed as he pulled his shirt on, messing up his hair even further in the process. "Aw man," he huffed.

Edward had been meditating on his thoughts for a long time now, simply listening to music while also listening to himself think. He had been doing a lot of thinking lately. He couldn't help it. He could hardly concentrate on anything else but his mind. He wanted to dissect himself, figure out what made him work, how to manipulate his gift, if there was a way for him to better himself. For Harry. All for Harry.

He was drawn out of his own world as familiar touches fell against his shoulders and forced him to turn away from the stereo system. He opened his eyes and stared up at Harry, unable to hear his thoughts because of the music pouring into his ears.

Harry was kneeling in front of Edward and his brows were furrowed slightly. He ran his resolute fingers through Edward's hair and moved it about in random patterns. Edward looked upwards reflexively and in confusion. Harry's frown seemed to deepen by the second so Edward finally pulled out his headphones and asked, "What are you doing?"

"You're just too perfect," Harry muttered. "Even _this_ isn't making you look silly."

"Why would I want to look silly?"

"No one _wants_ to look silly. Sheesh."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I said you're just too perfect."

"Is perfect bad?"

Harry scowled. "Yes."

"Because _I_ think _you're_ perfect."

The silence that followed Edward's words was pregnant with expectation and tension.

Harry pulled his hands back slowly, letting them drop to his sides. "You do?" he murmured.

Edward nodded.

"Wow." Harry stared at him without blinking. "I think that's…" He rose up on his knees and rested his fingers against Edward's cheek. "That's…"

"What?"

"The _stupidest_ thing you've _ever_ said, Edward Cullen."

"Is it?"

"You're the _stupidest_ person _ever_," Harry continued to sputter out. "It's a wonder you can even hold a proper conversation. Because that's how _stupid_ you are."

"You've been abusing me a lot lately," Edward noted.

"With _good_ reason," Harry retorted. "You're being more and more _stupid_ nowadays."

If he was going to be abused in any case, Edward figured he might as well give a reason.

In the blink of an eye, he had pinned Harry to the floor. Harry gaped up at him. "Shall I tell you more stupid things?" he asked playfully.

"No. Let me go."

He bent down and grazed his nose against Harry's cheek. "I think you're funny."

"Let me go, let me go, let me go, let me-"

He pressed his lips against Harry's forehead. "I think you're cool."

"You're a _poophead_. Let me go, _poophead_! You-"

He breathed into Harry's ear. "I think you're kind."

"You're the _stupidest_, _meanest_, _poopiest_, _stu_-"

"I think I love you."

Harry promptly stopped squirming.

Edward shifted to look down at him properly. "Was that a stupid thing to say?" he murmured.

"Mhm…"

He hovered his lips over Harry's. "I know I love you."

"You're so stupid."

"I know. I'm stupid."

Harry melted into the kiss with a quiet sigh. As soon as his wrists were released, he pulled them up and over to wind around Edward's neck. He flinched when his glasses were tipped up, but then it gave him so much freedom to tilt his head to the side and press up close. Their legs shifted so that they were tangled together. This wasn't a passionate gesture. Instead, the kiss was mischievous, interspersed with muffled chuckles and incoherent murmurs. Harry gently pushed up, prompting Edward to roll over onto his back. They settled into a soft rhythm of movement starting from their hips and moving up their backs towards their searching tongues.

"Mph, wait," Harry said as he pulled away and pressed his hand over Edward's mouth. He was now straddling on top. "You're supposed to stop me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm only human. I can't control myself."

Edward's eyes crinkled and his lips pulled up into a smile under Harry's palm. "What makes you think I'm better at that?" he asked.

"You've had practice," Harry remarked.

"Ah, yes. Practice."

He ungagged Edward and, with his knees on either side of the vampire, leaned forward while bracing himself on his elbows until their noses touched. Their eyes crossed simultaneously as they held their gaze. "Heh," he grinned. "You're nice."

Edward couldn't think of a more perfect moment than this. He closed his eyes and laughed.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

Edward's smile faded.

"And you won't," Harry continued. "Will you be sad?" He started brushing down all the hair he had messed up. "When I'm old and gross, will you be sad?"

"Do we have to talk about this?"

"No…" He rested his cheek on Edward's chest. "It's okay."

Of course Edward had thought about it. Even before all this, he had thought about the way he stood still in time while everything and everyone died around him. "I'll still love you when you're old and gross," he whispered.

"Yeah, right." Harry didn't believe him. "I always thought it was weird that old people stayed in love. They don't even look like they did when they were young."

"It's not about how you look."

"So you won't be embarrassed to be seen around me when I'm hunched over and walking around with a cane?"

Edward tipped his head down and kissed Harry's damp hair. "No more embarrassed than usual."

"I wouldn't mind if you _stopped_ loving me."

"Liar."

"I'd only mind a _teeny tiny_ bit."

"Really?"

"People fall in and out of love _all _the time."

"I've never…"

"Well… Me neither, but still."

"Then how do you know people fall in and out of love _all_ the time?" Edward murmured.

"It happens in books," Harry said. Then he shrugged. "But I don't know anything."

"And I'm the stupid one?"

"Oh, yes." Harry sat up on top of Edward's stomach and bent down so their noses touched once again. "You're so stupid. I don't even know _why_ you would want to kiss me."

"Ah yes. Good question." Edward sighed.

Harry pulled back and narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"I mean, you're _hardly_ the most attractive person I'm acquainted with," Edward revealed flippantly.

"Edward…"

"All you do is verbally and physically abuse me. And you don't look good at _all_ when you bunch your forehead up every time you nitpick."

"You're going to be in _so_ much trouble if you don't-"

"You're also rather inexperienced."

Harry slapped his palms on the floor on either side of Edward's face and dropped down while gnashing his teeth. "Shut up, you," he snarled. Edward hardly flinched. "You're the meanest, stupidest, _ugliest_ vampire _ever_. In all of _history_. The _ugliest_."

They stared at each other unblinkingly for nearly two minutes.

Then Edward craned his neck up so he could slide his lips against Harry's ear. "Learned any spells for privacy?" he whispered.

Harry tilted his chin down. "Maybe." He eased his wand out of his pocket and looked up at the door in front of him. "_Muffliato_," he chanted.

Edward jerked Harry into a furious lip kiss and they hurriedly fumbled with each other's shirts, trying to get them off without causing too much damage to the stitches. Edward was able to undress Harry first, much to the latter's exasperation. Upon hearing incredibly frustrated thoughts, he helped Harry out with his own shirt by lifting his arms up over his head and lying still.

"You've _got _to be _kidding_ me," Harry exhaled as he stared down at Edward's bare torso for the first time. Free of blemishes and hair, the vampire was sculpted with soft, defined muscles. Harry looked down at himself and moaned in dismay before leaning to the right and struggling to snatch up his discarded shirt so he could hide behind it.

Edward stopped Harry. "You look fine." He lightly ran his fingers over the middle of Harry's chest. "You look beautiful…"

"Ack, shut up," Harry grumbled. "We're breaking up now." He pushed Edward's hand away.

Edward wrapped an arm around Harry and tugged him to the side so they rolled onto the plush white rug. "Do you know why I want to hold you?" he asked quietly. He pressed his hands over Harry's shoulders, holding him against the carpet. "Because you don't mind it when I touch you." He dipped down to kiss those inviting lips that were parted just for him. "Because you don't mind sharing your warmth with me." He moved his hands further down until his fingers were tangled with Harry's. "Because every time you hug me, I feel important." He slid his lips over the side of Harry's neck, aching when he felt the soft fluttering pulse against his tongue. He also pulled his arms around in a wide arc on the ground until he had restrained Harry's wrists above their heads. Feeling the young man twist under him was more arousing than he cared to admit. Harry had the most playful body. Smell of hot soap wafted between them. As Edward shifted down to pay attention to Harry's chest that rose and fell unevenly, he was starting to realize why this was exciting.

He was tasting his prey.

Every lick, nip, kiss… it was all just the taste of flesh against his teeth and tongue. Flesh he could easily puncture if he bit too hard.

He stilled over the scar across Harry's heart. For the first time ever, he was able to play with his food.

"Harry…"

"Hmm," Harry gasped out as cold air struck his trembling body.

"If I lose control, you have to get away, alright?"

He stared up at the ceiling as the question pushed back some of the dizziness. "Huh?" He strained to look at Edward. "That can happen?"

"I don't know," Edward answered shakily. "I feel like I'm-" He stopped himself and took a breath. "I'll warn you if something is wrong."

"Is something wrong?"

"I've never done this… I don't know."

"Are you telling me you could kill me?"

"Yes."

Harry sputtered in disbelief. "That's not fair! You aren't allowed to do that!"

"I know."

"You better warn me!"

"I will."

He gritted his teeth as he stared up at Edward who looked like he was going to be sick. "Are you hungry? When did you eat last?"

Edward exhaled without warning and shook his head. "I'm fine," he muttered. He was starting to get mad at himself for even bringing this up.

"It's not fine!" Harry argued furiously. "You're going to kill me because I'm _way_ too sexy!"

Edward opened his mouth to ready himself for a furious retort. Then he realized what Harry had said. "Ah… No," he groaned in defeat before rocking forward to hide his face. "That's not… Oh man, Harry."

Harry laughed at Edward's mortification. It wasn't often that they were in this reversed position. "I know you won't hurt me, okay?" he whispered. "Don't worry about it. Do your worst." When Edward finally looked at him again, he nodded deliberately. "Besides… it's really hard to kill me."


	28. Chapter 28

Teddy stuck to Harry's side as they took a walk through the forest. New leaves were budding on the shrubs and the snow had melted into thick, caked mud. The young boy had fashioned himself a walking stick with a large branch he had found near the house and now he was using it to beat at the trees. "Hey, Harry?" he said as he whacked a dewy bush. "Gah!" He managed to spray water all over himself.

"What?" Harry laughed. Never a dull moment around Ted.

"Why were you kissing Edward?"

He stumbled over his feet in shock. "Wh-what? Huh? What?" he stammered. "What are you talking about?"

"I _saw_ you today," Teddy said absently while bending down to pick at a half-buried rope that was stuck in the mud. "When they left to hunt, you kissed him on the mouth." He looked up at Harry. "You're only allowed to do that if you really love someone."

"I-I-I-Uh, I… Um… I… do," Harry faltered. "L-love him, that is."

Teddy stood up in confusion. "Oh, _really_?" he mumbled under his breath. "That's weird."

"I know…"

"So is he your boyfriend?"

Harry cringed.

"It's alright if he is," Teddy went on to assure his godfather. "He's really nice to me. It's just that he's a vampire, you know? So it's weird. What if he eats you?"

"He promised me he wouldn't."

"I'm sure he won't." He kept walking forward while stabbing the stick on unsuspecting worms that wriggled on the ground. "Will they come back today?"

"Y-yeah. In the evening. And… don't talk to Edward about this, okay? It's embarrassing."

Teddy cackled evilly. "I'm going to talk to him for _sure_!"

"Oh, come on, Teddy."

Their banter was suddenly interrupted by the far-off sound of running footsteps. They stopped walking and turned towards the direction of the noises. Teddy stepped towards Harry, holding onto his leg. Harry reached into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around his wand as he tried to peer through the thick trees to spot movement.

They were caught off-guard when the branches to their right suddenly parted to reveal-

"Hey, guys," Seth panted. He bent over double and rested his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "So something weird's gonna happen now and I wanted to warn you."

Harry and Teddy gaped at each other.

"I tried stopping them," Seth continued as he straightened up and wiped the sweat off the back of his neck. "But they never listen to me, so… yeah. And, um, just to get started… You already know about the Cullens, right?"

Harry's jaw dropped.

"I thought so," Seth said triumphantly. "They wouldn't believe me."

"Oh no, Harry," Teddy breathed. He brought his arm up to point up the hill.

Seth and Harry turned to look. "What the hell?" they breathed in unison.

Harry scooped Teddy up in his arms and staggered backwards while Seth rushed forward, putting himself between them and five approaching wolves. "What are you doing?" he asked frantically.

The largest black wolf growled deep, making Seth flinch. The rest of the wolves that flanked the alpha kept their unblinking eyes on Harry and Teddy, watching their every move.

"I told you they're alright," Seth tried to reason with Sam. "Wh-why did you phase?"

His question was broken off when an angry howl echoed around them, quickly followed by rushed rustling of twigs snapping and stones dislodging.

Harry stumbled up against a tree and shielded Teddy as more wolves sprang out, this time from the behind him, and skidded to a halt beside Seth. The tall boy was rending his hair in exasperation now. "What are you guys _doing_?" he blurted. The four new wolves stuck close to him, forcing him behind them. They growled and snarled at Sam's pack threateningly. "Stop!" Seth exclaimed. "Stop it! Jake, come on!"

Jacob planted himself directly in front of Seth, keeping him apart from the opposing pack. He barked at Sam to stand down. Sam was the alpha, however. To say he was surprised would be an understatement. He tried to make Jacob submit, assaulting their mental bond with dominant thoughts. Jacob fought through it without dropping to the ground in compliance.

"Tell them," Seth rushed. He whipped around to face Harry. "You know about the Cullens, right? Tell them."

"I-I know," Harry burst out. "Wh-what's going on? What's-"

Jacob growled furiously as he broke free of Sam's inner voice. Leah stood by his side, bearing her teeth menacingly at anyone who dared step near her brother.

"He knows!" Seth said in desperation. "It's alright. He knows, okay? Why are you guys fighting?"

"W-wait. Th-these are _people_?" Harry gasped.

"People?" Teddy echoed.

"What do you know about the Cullens?" Seth pressed on. Sam was taking measured steps forward, as was his pack. This caused Jacob's pack to back up defensively. "What about them specifically?"

Harry didn't know what to say. He felt delirious, unable to believe the sight before him. His vision was swimming and he was sure he was seeing double because _nine_ wolves the size of cars couldn't _possibly_ be crouched before him, ready to pounce at the slightest hint of danger. They were the most terrifying things to look at and… they were _people_?

"Vampires!"

The wolves froze.

Harry slapped his hand over Teddy's mouth.

Seth stared at Teddy for a beat before nodding wildly. "See? I told you! They know!" He spun around to talk to the wolves. "I told you! It's okay. He's okay. They're alright. They know what they've gotten themselves into."

Teddy stuck his tongue out and licked Harry's palm.

"Ugh." Harry whipped his hand away and wiped it against his jeans without thinking.

"And _you_ guys are _werewolves_!"

He slapped his hand over Teddy's mouth again. "Oh my God, I'm going to kill you," he said under his breath as the wolves now turned as one entity to face them.

"How do you know that?" Seth asked in awe. "Did they tell you?"

Harry paled. "Wh-W-Werewolves?" he stuttered.

Teddy pushed Harry's hand away while bouncing with excitement. "My daddy's a werewolf. I know _all_ about werewolves," he beamed. "But you guys shouldn't fight." He dropped his grin to put on a grave expression and brought his finger up, wagging it in reproach. "Werewolves should stick together all the time, just like merpeople and giants and centaurs. Oh, _and_ vampires. Everyone should stick together. But trolls can't stick together like that because they smell like sh-"

"Ah!" Harry slapped his hand over Teddy's potty mouth. "Who told you that?" he hissed.

"Uncle George," Teddy mumbled.

"Wha-Who _are_ you guys?" Seth asked in disbelief.

A sudden whirlwind caused the wolves to hurry back and Harry to press even harder into the tree trunk.

Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper appeared out of nowhere and made a tight half-circle around the tree.

The wolves bristled and arched their backs as they howled and roared.

The vampires hissed back while crouching warily.

"Uh oh. They don't like each other," Teddy commentated from his perch in Harry's arms. "That's not good. Tell them not to fight, Harry."

"You guys can't be werewolves," Harry argued despite the situation. "It's not a full moon or anything."

"Oh yeah…" Teddy frowned in disappointment.

Seth eyed the Cullens nervously as he hid behind Embry and Leah. "Um, well, we aren't strictly werewolves," he struggled to explain. Sam and Jacob growled at him to try and shut him up. "We're shapeshifters," he said. "We can shift into wolves."

"That still counts," Teddy said with a firm nod. "You're still werewolves. You are, right, Seth?"

"I… Uh, yeah."

"Awesome! That's so cool!" Teddy crowed. "I'm telling _everyone_ back home about you guys! They won't _ever_ believe me!"

Then there was strained silence for a few awkward moments. Everyone was still reeling from all the excitement. The wolves and vampires were very confused about what to do. Seth was trying ever so hard to figure out what kind of creatures Harry and Teddy were. Teddy was mentally gloating about all the cool things he would get to tell his grandmother when he got back home.

"So…" Harry broke the silence. "What's this about?"

"Ah, right." Seth shook himself out of his daze. "It's… The Cullens aren't… We wanted to make sure you knew about the Cullens."

"Oh…"

"The treaty says that if they hurt a human, then…"

The vampires hissed and spat at Seth for even suggesting that in front of them.

"I know," Seth conceded while holding up his hands. "I told them. I did. I told them everything was fine, but they wouldn't listen." He glared at the wolves. "I _told_ you," he muttered angrily.

"So you're making sure I'm still alive," Harry said deliberately.

"Well, you and your kid," Seth clarified.

"I see…"

Once everyone had cooled their heads and realized how awfully they had overreacted, all parties involved felt a bit silly to be standing around. Sam's pack left first, but not before glowering at Jacob's pack to indicate that the issue was far from over. Then Leah nipped at Seth's hand irritably before following Jacob, Quil, and Embry. As soon as the wolves had retreated, the Cullens straightened up and smoothed their ruffled hair and crumpled clothes.

"Sorry about that," Seth apologized. He waved at Teddy before loping off after his friends, sure to hear more than an earful once he got back home.

"Heh," Teddy smirked at the Cullens who were watching Harry's rapidly changing expressions. At least they had the decency to appear sheepish. "You guys are in _trouble_," the boy sang out.

* * *

"So _now_ you're mad at Edward for real, right?" Eric asked, just to make sure.

Harry studiously ignored his prying friends and brought his book up closer to his face while scowling.

"Why?" Ashley wanted to know. She enjoyed gossip. "What did he do?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Did you two break up or something?"

"No. I'm just going to be angry for a little while."

"Okay… Should we be angry too?"

"Yes."

Edward hid his smile behind his hand and kept his head down, pretending to read the textbook on the table before him. Harry had every right to be mad at him for a little while. He didn't bother fighting it. At least now the shapeshifters were off their case. That was a relief unto itself. Trust Harry and Teddy to sort things out by themselves…

* * *

**A/N:** A proper note this time.

Thank you for all your amazing reviews and favorites. It fills my heart with happiness and _a lot_ of confidence (like you won't believe). I seriously feed off of how much you guys enjoy my stories. It keeps me motivated and moving forward with the chapters. That being said, I haven't written any chapters in over a week… Erk. I know. BUT I _have_ finished the last few chapters, so I already know how the story is going to end. Never fear, I WILL finish this one. I just don't know what to do about the 'filler' chapters, that's all.

So if you guys have suggestions and such, let me know. Obviously there's going to be an epic battle scene between the Cullens and the Dark Army. But I don't know how to lead up to it and what needs to change, how Harry's relationship with Edward should evolve, if Draco should get more involved, if the Aurors need to play a more important role in the story, how the shapeshifters and vampires are going to behave as time goes on, if Bella is going to come into play, how much more _awesome_ I can make Seth, all that. I know, lots and lots of stuff to play with. Now you know what I'm dealing with in my head when I'm writing each chapter :p

The next few chapters will be delayed, at least until next week. I'm done my midterms by then, so I should be able to crank out more chapters. Another reason why my progress has slowed with this story is because of the other fan fiction that I'm writing (a Drarry, of course) and I can't seem to get _that_ story out of my mind. Oops. It's what I get for trying to take on multiple projects.

Anyway, THANK YOU for being so patient with me and kind with your reviews. Seriously, I don't think even one of you has said anything awful to me :D Much appreciated and I love you!


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** Sorry, sorry! Writer's block and exams have restrained my wrists for the past fortnight. And they shall continue to bind me until my finals are over in two more weeks. But here's a chapter for you to gnaw on until then :)

* * *

Harry woke up in the middle of the night feeling a bit out of sorts. He stared out the window he was facing while trying to figure out what the matter was. Then he felt soft breath against his neck. "What?" he mumbled sleepily. He turned over to face Edward. "What're you doing?"

"You were having a bad dream."

"No, I wasn't."

"I heard you."

Harry was too tired to argue. "Whatever…" He turned his back to Edward but scooted up near him in any case.

"Goodnight," Edward murmured. He pulled the blankets up to cover Harry fully before wrapping an arm around him and listening to his gentle breathing, his steady heartbeat, muffled thoughts, murmurs. He tilted his head down. Everyday he wondered how he was holding something so precious. As he touched Harry's warm cheek with the back of his hand, he couldn't help feeling overwhelmed. He must have done something right. His fingers tangled into bedraggled black hair. Overwhelming…

"Go to sleep, Edward," Harry grumbled.

"Hmm… Okay." He nestled against the pillow and Harry before closing his eyes. Sleep.

This felt like sleep. Matching his breathing, hearing his dreams, feeling his warmth. This could be sleeping. He wouldn't mind lying in bed with Harry and pretending, not if Harry snored or shifted around by throwing his arms and legs over him. If this was sleep, he would gladly do it every night.

"Edward?"

He smiled at the quiet whisper. "Yes?"

"Are you awake?"

He cracked an eye open, realizing only then that it was dawn, at least five hours later. Harry was staring at him wide eyed. "Yes," he answered.

"I thought you didn't sleep…"

He chuckled and tucked his head under Harry's chin. "I don't," he mumbled. "You think nice things when you sleep." He slid his arms around Harry's waist. "Did you mind sleeping next to me?"

"You're really cold."

"I know."

"But I don't mind."

"I'm glad." He looked up at Harry. "Good morning."

"Ah…" He blushed. "Yeah, thanks. Erm, I should… get up." He pushed away from Edward in a flustered manner and rolled out of bed. It wasn't everyday that he woke up next to a vampire. He scurried off to the bathroom.

As he brushed his teeth, he tried really hard to remember if he had actually had a bad dream the night before. He couldn't remember anything bad. He had dreamed about wolves and bats and magic. That wasn't bad. So did Edward just make up an excuse to climb into bed with him? He shivered. He needed to stop thinking things like that. Then again, he rather liked being hugged while he slept. That had felt nice.

He quickly rinsed his mouth out before he thought about anything more devastating. He had woken up earlier than usual because he wasn't used to having someone else sleep in his bed. It wasn't _his_ fault he felt confused. _Edward_ made him feel confused, that's all. He splashed water on his face so he'd wake up properly and then stuck his glasses on. No matter. He was still a little angry about the shapeshifter thing and no amount of cuddling was going to change that.

He opened the bathroom door.

Edward pulled him into an ardent kiss, forcing him back into the bathroom. All thoughts of being angry fled his mind and were quickly replaced with elated feelings from their liplock. So Edward still had secrets. Big deal.

Edward smiled when he heard that in Harry's head. He slowly broke the kiss after many long minutes. If he didn't take the initiative to put an end to their soirees, Harry would just keep going. He moved his lips away from Harry's searching mouth. "How was that?" he asked.

Harry simply laughed. He rather liked surprise kisses.

And so Edward indulged him.

He had just run upstairs to grab Teddy's jacket from his room. He wasn't expecting to be met with a kiss when he stepped out the door. He hummed happily while blinking up at Edward who winked at him.

He was struggling to get the last bit of groceries out of the boot when he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. He glanced over to find nothing behind him. When he turned back around, the bags were lifted out of his arms and a fleeting kiss was pressed against his lips.

He massaged his forehead to get rid of his headache and take a break from his reading. He gasped when his chair was tipped back without warning and he ended up balanced precariously while Edward smiled down at him. He closed his eyes without prompt, inviting the kiss and distraction wholeheartedly.

It got to the point where he would gingerly round each corner waiting for an ambush. He was always looking behind his back to try and catch Edward unaware. But it never worked. Edward was never around the corner or behind his back. It was only when he felt a false sense of security that he was surprised with another peck against the lips. He really wished he could do the same to Edward. The only time he had managed to surprise the vampire was their very first kiss in the snow. That had turned out to be disastrous.

He was fumbling with the straps of his backpack and hurrying to the cafeteria for lunch when he was grabbed by the arm and jerked into an empty classroom. He stumbled against the door with a bewildered grunt. He flinched as cold breath touched his lips.

But Edward didn't kiss him this time.

He peeked out of one eye nervously.

Edward tilted his head at Harry and arched a brow. "So? I win?" he asked.

Harry bristled. "It's not a competi-" He was silenced with a hard kiss… A little too hard for school. He groaned helplessly while reaching out to grasp at Edward's shirt and pull him close. These kisses were to die for. It was cold and firm, full of purpose and desire. It thrilled him to think that Edward didn't kiss anyone else like this.

After that he realized that this was the first time they had really been 'alone' – away from family and prying friends.

He reached behind him to fumble with the doorknob. He locked the door with a twist of the handle.

Edward gasped when he read Harry's thoughts, but he couldn't pull himself away. His hands moved between them without his consent to rapidly undo his jeans. "Ah, Harry," he rushed against the kiss. "S-stop."

"Like I'd let you win," Harry smirked. He shrugged off his backpack and jacket while letting Edward do his thing. Then he carted his fingers through Edward's hair and held him steady so he could deepen their kiss. Their tongues danced against each other. Edward could feel Harry's temperature increasing rapidly in a matter of seconds. It heightened his arousal. Everything about Harry drove him wild.

And Harry knew it.

"Ready?" he whispered cheekily.

"No," Edward moaned.

_Ten minutes later…_

He slid to the ground in a daze. That was something he had never felt before. He blinked at Harry who was smiling triumphantly at him. "Where did you learn to do that?" he breathed.

"Heh heh."

"That's not an answer, Harry…"

"Heh heh."

He yanked Harry close to kiss him with urgency. He was going out of his mind and he'd be damned if he didn't take Harry with him.

_Five minutes later…_

"Oh boy," Harry panted as he flopped across Edward's lap. He was still shivering from exertion and he could hardly see straight. He reached up blindly.

"Mph, wait." Edward tried to move away.

"It's fine," Harry sighed. Their lips met halfway. Edward reluctantly parted his teeth after being coaxed for a moment. They pressed messy kisses on each other for a long while before moving apart. Their relationship had just taken a strange turn. Edward brushed his fingers against Harry's chin. So strange…

"I want to have sex with you," Harry mumbled.

He didn't mean it as a joke. He didn't even mean to say it glibly. He just wanted Edward to know what he wanted.

Edward paused for a moment. "I… don't think it's possible, Harry," he said quietly.

"It's not?"

He cupped Harry's cheek as overwhelming emotion coursed through his chest. "I love you so much," he whispered.

Harry beamed at him without warning. "I love you too."

Edward couldn't help but smile in response.

"And I win, right?" Harry added.

"Yes, yes. You win," Edward conceded. "But I thought it wasn't a competition."

"I changed the rules," Harry proclaimed. "I'm allowed to do that."

"Shall I change the rules as well?"

"No way."

"No more of this at school, alright?"

Harry pouted. "That's not fair. We can't do this anywhere else," he complained as he sat up and tried to clean himself up as best as he could without a mirror.

"Do you feel like… you want more of this?" Edward hesitated. He turned Harry around to help him out with his messy hair and crooked shirt.

Harry shook his head wildly, undoing Edward's attempt at taming his hair. "I don't know. I'm… I don't know anything. Do _you_ know anything?" he asked.

"Not really. Rosalie and Emmett-"

"MMM!" Harry slapped his hand over Edward's mouth to stop him. "No, no, no, I don't want to hear about Rosalie and Emmett!"

Edward chuckled. "Okay, alright. Sorry," he apologized.

"That's just gross to think about," Harry continued while grimacing. "We'll just think about us, okay?"

Us. Edward liked the sound of that. He nodded. That's all he thought about nowadays, in any case.

By the time they snuck into the cafeteria, half the hour had already passed. Harry pecked Edward on the cheek before hurrying towards his friends. He made up some half-hearted excuse about finishing up homework in the library, which his friends bought without question. Edward, on the other hand, had his siblings to answer to.

Alice kept her eyes on her phone and Jasper pretended to be busy with his books when Edward approached the table. He couldn't blame them. Alice had probably been _really _surprised by what she had witnessed in her mind's eye while Jasper could probably feel his frustration and yearning, neither of them innocent. Rosalie read their uncomfortable body language and her lips drew together into a thin line.

Emmett laughed boisterously. "What were you and Harry up to?"

Alice and Jasper winced in unison while Rosalie smacked her him over the head. Edward sunk into his seat, refusing to look at them because he was feeling a bit embarrassed at the moment. "There's no privacy in the house," he mumbled.

"School is _better_?" Rosalie sputtered.

"At the moment, yes…"

"Edward!"

"It wasn't my idea," Edward rapidly clarified. "He's rather strong willed." He didn't add that he almost always felt weak-kneed whenever Harry pressed up against him. "He's not like us. He isn't easily satisfied."

"Ah, I don't really want to hear this, Edward," Jasper grimaced.

"But what am I supposed to do?" he pressed on. He sat up straighter and rested his elbows on the table. "We're never alone at home and that becomes uncomfortable quite quickly. It's hardly fair for me to ask him to control himself. It might be easy for us to do, but it's human nature to him to want to feel pleasure, isn't it?"

"_Both_ of you are acting like hormonal teenagers," Rosalie rebuked.

"You aren't helping."

Alice cleared her throat. "If the problem is privacy, just take a vacation," she suggested. "Preferably _very_ far away because… sex with a human is very messy and I don't want to see it."

Jasper and Emmett balked while Rosalie's eyes went wide. "Sex?" she hissed. "_No_ _sex_! Are you _insane_, Edward?"

"I'm not going to have sex with him," Edward muttered. He glared at Alice who shrugged instead of arguing. "It's not about sex. It's about privacy." At least that's what he told himself.

"If you hurt him, I'll skin you alive," Rosalie threatened him.

"I'm not going to hurt him!" he exclaimed. "What's wrong with you?"

"Vacation in the summer?" Alice interjected before her siblings could make more of a scene. "_Very_ far away? Done? Let's not talk about this?" she all but pleaded. Edward harrumphed and folded his arms against his chest. Rosalie didn't give up on giving him the stink-eye until the end of lunch break.


	30. Chapter 30

Edward leaned against the doorjamb while watching Harry tap away on his beloved laptop. The young man was kneeling in bed, bent over double, and squinting at the dimly lit screen. He was half buried in his blankets also. Teddy had his back turned to the door and sat on the floor while playing with his Quidditch figurines by giving them theatric voices and making them crash onto the carpet. Harry pushed his glasses up his nose every so often whenever he paused to answer his godson's occasional quips.

"Harry, you should play Quidditch and win all the games."

"Mhm."

"Harry, when we go back, you should teach me how to fly."

"Mhm."

"Harry, if I catch the Snitch, I win, okay?"

"Mhm."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" He glanced over his shoulder absently.

Teddy jumped up into bed, tackling him into the pillows. "Time to play!"

He scooped the boy into his arms to hold him steady. "Not yet," he said patiently. "Give me _five_ minutes, okay?"

"Five minutes is a _long_ time," Teddy lamented.

"No, it isn't." Harry looked up at the clock to show Teddy how long five minutes would be, but his attention slipped when he suddenly realized that they had an audience. He smiled vaguely at Edward before pointing at the clock and telling Teddy that when the long arm was at seven, they would play.

Teddy muttered about how that was going to take way too long. He decided to hop off the bed and run over to Edward instead. "Let's play, Edward," he said. "Harry's being mean."

So Edward ended up sitting on the floor and pretending to be the rival Beater while Teddy flew his Seeker around wildly in an attempt to flee the fiend. "When I catch the Snitch, I win, okay?" he told Edward.

"And where's the Snitch?" Edward asked.

"We don't know yet," Teddy explained gravely. "The Snitch is so sneaky that you won't know where it is until it decides to show up. It's why being a Seeker is so hard." He zoomed his Seeker around Edward's head. "Harry was a Seeker, you know? The _best_ Seeker ever."

"Really?"

"Mhm. He won all the games at school. I'm going to win all the games at school too. I'm going to be Seeker too. What do _you_ want to be, Edward?"

"Shall I be a Seeker as well?"

"Sure! But there can only be one Seeker in one team. So you can't be on my team when we play if you're going to be Seeker too. Maybe you can be the Chaser because you're _so_ fast, right? Then you can be on my team."

"Alright."

"Okay," Teddy decided. "I'll be the Seeker and you can be a Chaser. We can both get points that way."

They grew quiet when they heard a muffled shout from downstairs.

"Teddy. The cookies are ready."

His eyes widened. Without a moment's pause, he dropped his toys and sprinted out of the room to go grab his cookies from Esme.

Edward simply laughed and flicked his eyes up at the bed.

Harry was sitting up while scratching his chin, wondering if he should follow Teddy down as well. He could never pass up on fresh cookies… But then he would lose track of where he was. He looked down at his incomplete essay in dismay.

He jerked when he felt a soft touch against the small of his back. "I'll keep your train of thought for you," Edward whispered. "Let's go down. You're famished."

Harry made an odd noise with his nose and the back of his throat, like an unimpressed gargle. "You being so cool and thoughtful is getting really old, man," he grumbled.

"It's just for today," Edward answered slyly. "And I was thinking more along the lines of getting to the cookies before your precious godson decides to inhale them in one sitting." He tugged Harry out of bed. "He's just like you in that sense."

"Hey!"

* * *

"I've got it!" Seth called out as he bounded down the stairs to answer the doorbell. He already knew who it was. His bedroom looked right out into the street. He opened the door with a wide grin. "Hello," he greeted Harry.

Harry was a bit taken aback by Seth's enthusiasm. "Uh, hi," he stammered. "It's not a bad time, is it?"

"Nope. Do you want to come inside?"

"Sure?"

Seth stepped aside to let Harry in. "How did you find my house?" he asked.

"Looked it up," Harry answered vaguely as he took in the spacious home while toeing off his shoes and unzipping his jacket. His gaze stopped when he caught slight movement at the top of the stairs and found himself peering at a sullen woman. "Hello," he said to her.

"What are you doing here?" the young woman asked while walking down the steps carefully. She had cropped black hair and wore a plain black tee with jeans. Her lips were pursed into a sour expression and her brows knitted together.

"That's Leah," Seth told Harry. "She's my sister."

"Oh, I see."

Leah turned her attention to her brother. "What's he doing here?"

Seth shrugged.

"Sorry," Harry quickly interjected. "Spontaneous visit."

"What for?"

He felt as though he was being interrogated. Leah seemed to be the no-nonsense type. He glanced at Seth for a way out.

Seth said, "She's a shapeshifter too, so it's okay."

Leah bristled while Harry relaxed a bit. "Oh, good," he mumbled. "Um, I was wondering if we could talk about… that. The wolf thing."

"No," Leah bit out just as Seth cheerily answered, "Yes."

Harry flicked his eyes between the siblings uncertainly. "Ah, okay…" he trailed off, not quite sure who to talk to. Leah was older but Seth was much nicer.

"Don't listen to Leah," he waved her off. "Want something to drink? Juice? Coffee?" He made his way to the kitchen.

"No, no. I'm fine," Harry insisted.

"Something to eat then?"

Leah clicked her tongue and harrumphed.

Harry meekly followed Seth while mumbling this and that under his breath. Leah sort of reminded him of Rosalie when they had first met – cold, defensive, and extremely protective. Seth seemed to be the exact opposite of her. He was rummaging through the pantry for chips and cookies despite Harry's objection. "It's okay," he kept saying. "I'm hungry too." Eventually there were bowls of assorted snacks on the laminated countertop and he was snarfing it down. "So what do you want to talk about?" he garbled.

Harry examined the stale chip in his hand while leaning against the wall. "Well, it's… The Cullens don't really know much about you guys," he started off by saying. He studiously ignored the quiet tsk that Leah let out at the mention of vampires. "I was wondering if _you_ could tell me more about you guys."

"Like what?" Seth pressed on.

"Like… why you don't like them…"

"They're dangerous," Leah spat out. "And every time there is a threat around our tribe, we phase. We need to keep our families safe from those leeches."

"But do you _really_?" Harry needled. "They've never hurt anyone."

"Do you understand what it means to be a shapeshifter?" she asked gravely. "Do you know how our lives have changed for the simple reason that vampires exist around us?"

Harry didn't know.

She gritted her teeth. "We can't have a normal life. Freaks. That's what we are."

"Aw, come on, Leah," Seth argued. "I don't think we're freaks. I think it's pretty neat, eh?"

"Neat?" she spat out. "What's neat about it?"

"The wolf part."

She exhaled loudly and rolled her eyes.

Harry shifted his weight between his legs while taking in Leah's sharp words. "Does it… hurt? Changing into a wolf?" he asked. "Because I've read books about werewolves and it's a very painful shift once a month."

Seth shook his head. "Doesn't hurt me."

"And you're immortal too?"

"Well, not really," he clarified. "We _can_ age if we want to. If we don't phase into wolves for long enough, we'll grow old. I guess we just age really slowly."

"Then it's possible for you to _not_ be freaks, right? You don't have to be like this forever. I mean, if the Cullens move away or something, everything will go back to normal, right?"

"Most likely," Seth agreed.

"Well, there you go."

The siblings blinked at Harry in confusion.

"When the Cullens leave, you guys will be alright," Harry explained. "I mean, they can't stay here _forever_. They'll probably move away in a bit. I mean, we're all graduating this year and then it's not like they can stay here for a long time without seeming suspicious. They don't grow old _ever_. So, you know, you guys will be fine, right?"

"Hmm."

"I just think it's weird that you guys fight and there's nothing to fight about at all."

"You don't even know us," Leah scowled.

"But I know the Cullens," Harry countered. "They've been looking after me for so long. They would never hurt me. They would never hurt anyone. They are very careful to keep away, in fact."

"They should just live with their own kind, then."

"That's not a very nice thing to say."

"Yeah," Seth agreed while glaring at his sister. "That's not a very nice thing to say."

"Dr. Cullen helps people at the hospital," Harry continued. "He only wants to help. It's why he became a doctor. He's been a doctor for ages. It's not nice to say bad things about him because he's the nicest person I know. He took me in even though he didn't know anything about me. _All_ of them are the nicest people ever. I just wish you'd see that."

"What do you want me to say?" Leah snapped. "That they're saints?"

"Well, I may be a bit biased," Harry agreed, "but you should give them a chance before you think bad things about them. I think they're great. And I think you guys are pretty cool too. Kind of scary, though."

Leah stormed off without another word, leaving Seth to smile sheepishly at his guest. Once he heard the distant sound of her bedroom door slamming shut, he said, "Don't mind her. She's really stubborn." Then he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Actually, my whole pack is pretty stubborn. It doesn't help that the elders keep saying bad things about the vampires." He shook his head. "But that's alright. _I_ believe you, Harry. You've been living with them for ages."

"That's right," Harry said eagerly. "I know them better than anyone else."

"So what's it like living with them? Do they keep blood in the fridge or something?"

* * *

Edward lay on the floor of his room atop his plush white rug, holding his book up over his eyes so he could read it. He wore his headphones to concentrate since Harry was lying across his stomach, keeping a pillow between them, and was absently touching his fingertips together for a second before pulling them apart to create a small purple spark, a skill he had just discovered with Charlie. The room was devoid of all noise except for the rustling of pages being flipped and a soft crack whenever he created the static magic. They had been lazing this way for over an hour.

He finally got tired of his cool new trick and flipped over onto his front so his chin rested on the pillow. "Edward?" he murmured.

"Yes?" Edward nudged his headphones off.

"When I graduate, we'll go back to England, won't we?"

He glanced away from the book and looked at Harry. "We will," he answered.

"Can _all_ of us go?"

"All of us?"

"Yeah. Everyone."

"Really?"

Harry nodded. "You guys can't stay here for much longer anyways. And… the shapeshifters will be happier if you leave. You guys can live with me and my friends. You won't have to be mysterious anymore. It's okay to live forever back in England because there's magic everywhere and no one will think it's weird. So we should all go, right?"

Edward couldn't argue with that logic. He smiled to show his amusement and nodded. "How about we talk to Carlisle, hmm?"

"Will you make him say yes?"

"I will certainly try."

"He can be a doctor at the hospital where I was being treated," Harry continued. "He can be a Mediwizard. Except not a wizard. A Medivampire."

"Tempting."

"Because I don't want to leave you guys…"

Edward lifted himself up on his elbows. "We know that, Harry," he reassured. "We just want what's best for you."

"No one knows what's best for me. It's impossible to know."

"Mhm."

Harry sat up so he could lean closer to Edward, bracing himself with his arm as he did so. "We'll go back," he said, "and I'll learn more and more magic. Right?"

"What else?"

"Then…" He thought about it. "Then I'll be an Auror again. It's what I was planning on being before all this. You can find lots and lots of new books to read, so you won't be bored for _ages_. And then…"

"And then?"

"Let's live together, Edward."

He laughed. Harry's mind was so wonderful. "I'd love to," he accepted gladly. "Thank you."

Harry traced a finger down Edward's nose. "You can pretend sleep with me at night and then wake me up because I hate waking up to an alarm. We can go in for work together. What do you want to do? You can be _anything_ you want to be."

"Anything?"

"Anything at all. I'll be an Auror and you can be anything you want. We'll go to work together. But I'll be late coming home every day, alright?"

"Oh? Why?"

"Because Auror work is busy work," he said importantly. "I can't leave it halfway done. I have to get it all the way done before coming home. You aren't allowed to get mad at me for doing that."

"Alright, alright. I won't get mad."

"Good. So I'll come home and _then_ we'll hang out. We'll go exploring all over. We'll go eat at weird places and see weird magic things. We'll stay out for as long as we want because I won't have a curfew. I'm all grown up. When we get home at night, we'll go to bed and have sex."

Edward laughed again, this time sheepishly. "Sex again?" he mumbled.

"If you want," Harry added. "I don't care."

"Sure, you care."

"I only care a _tiny_ bit."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

Edward kissed him lightly. "Aren't you scared? Not even a _tiny_ bit?" he wanted to know.

"Scared?" Harry asked. "Sex isn't scary. I saw a few videos on-"

"Not that," Edward interjected, but he couldn't hide his smile. "I'm not talking about sex, alright? You're the only one who keeps doing that."

Harry was affronted. "What's wrong if I talk about it? It's healthy to think of sex. It's evolutionarily-"

"Yes, yes. I know. But I'm not talking about sex," Edward reiterated. "I mean… just… about life. About the things that have happened to you, that could keep happening. Aren't you scared?"

Harry sighed and rested a comforting hand on Edward's shoulder. "Like I've said before, I know there are bad people and I know they can do bad things, but I don't see why I should concern myself with it. What's the point of being scared? Yes, I'll be careful, but not scared, okay? I know the world's not perfect, but most of the time I feel like _my_ world is perfect. I'm happy I'm alive." He squinted. "Does that make me naïve?"

"Just a little," Edward divulged. "However I need some optimism in my life, so I'll keep you around, alright?"

"Sounds like a solid plan."

"Very solid."

Harry chuckled quietly. "Okay, then. Why do you think people break up?"

"Oh. Now you're breaking up with me?"

"Yeah. Why do you think people do that?"

Edward shrugged. "They get tired of each other. Or they don't like what they see when they've spent more and more time together. Or they weren't really in love in the first place. Lots of reasons."

"Well, I know the reason why _I'd_ break up with _you_."

"Pray tell."

"You probably tried to eat me."

Edward laughed out loud. "Ah, that." He shook his head in defeat. "Yes, I wouldn't blame you for breaking up if I tried that, Harry. I'd be rather disappointed in myself as well."

Harry snickered. "Until then I'll be happy. So don't ruin it."

Edward tackled him to the ground and kissed him between bouts of laughter. Enough talk for one day. They still had myriads more to go.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N:** So… I've written the next five chapters (in the process of editing at the moment) and things get a little intense. No more author's notes for a while. I want to keep the continuation of the story. See you on the other side, you lovely people.

* * *

Harry was on his way out of the grocery store with his bag full of junk food when he saw a peculiar sight by the building. He squinted at Seth who was sneakily peeking out around the corner at the street. He wondered what was up. Never one to pass up on some fun, he snuck over there and peered around the corner as well.

His brows rose up when he saw Bella speaking with a tall, dark young man near her car. "What's going on?" he whispered.

"GAH!" Seth jumped and whipped around to glare at Harry. "Don't _do_ that!"

"What's going on?" Harry asked again. "Who's Bella talking to?"

"Wait. _You_ know Bella?"

"We go to school together."

Seth smiled slyly. "Well then." He went back to spying. "That's Jacob. He likes her."

"Oh?" Harry grinned. "That's great. Does she like _him_?" He wanted to spy as well. He set his bag down on the ground and mimicked Seth. "How do they know each other?"

"They knew each other when they were kids. Their dads are friends. Jake's my pack leader."

Harry gasped. "D-does she know?" he asked quickly.

"I think so." Seth glanced back at him. "When we shift into wolves, we can read each other's thoughts. He always tries to hide what he thinks about Bella. So I think he probably told her and now he's worried about what we'd say."

"Oh… That's so crazy."

"I know, right?"

"Is he nice?"

"Sure, he is," Seth answered. He felt offended. "Why wouldn't he be nice?"

"Bella's nice," Harry said gravely, "and I want her to like someone nice too."

"He's nice."

"Okay. Good." He watched them laugh. "Hey, I'm sure she likes him too. I'll ask her."

"Don't do that!" Seth blurted out. "That's way too obvious, Harry."

"Why? She's my friend. I can ask her that sort of stuff."

Before Seth could argue, his thoughts were derailed by an uncharacteristic shiver running down his spine. It was like they were being watched. He looked away from Harry and towards the main parking lot. "Ah… That's not good," he mumbled.

"Huh?" Harry looked back as well. "Oh, Edward." He didn't think twice as he waved at Edward who was leaning against his car. "He should come spy with us."

"No, not a good idea," Seth hissed.

"Why?"

It was too late in any case. Edward was already on his way, taking measured steps towards Harry. Seth tried to appear nonchalant while sidling away. It was a very awkward situation in general. "We need to get home, Harry," Edward murmured as soon as he was within earshot.

"No way," Harry said excitedly. "Look at _that_." He jerked Edward towards the wall and then prompted him to peek out the side.

Edward didn't have to. He already knew what was happening. He was also trying to keep his calm about it. Not only was Bella socializing with a shapeshifter, the dog seemed to _fancy_ her. It was incredibly unnerving, especially for his instincts. He wanted nothing more than to put an end to it. But he held himself in check, mostly for Harry's sake and Bella's dignity. "Let's just go," he muttered while tugging at Harry.

"Why? I want to see." Harry could tell that Edward was feeling a little out of sorts. "What's wrong?"

"I'll be going then," Seth announced.

"Whoa." Harry grabbed him by the elbow and glared at Edward for a second. "I think you two need to be friends now, okay?"

Seth gaped at Harry and then at Edward who had the most displeased expression on his face. "Oh, th-that won't be necessary," he said with a weak shake of his head.

"It is very necessary," Harry retorted. "Shake hands."

"No," Edward said without fanfare.

"_No_? Did you just say _no_, Edward?"

He folded his arms against his chest.

Harry huffed and puffed. "Seth, you're going to be the better man, aren't you?" he goaded on.

"Um… I'll get chewed out by my pack… Sorry."

"You two are unbelievable!"

Seth shook his head. "It's just the way it is," he said.

"No. It's not the way it is. It's the way it's always been," Harry corrected him. "That doesn't mean you can't change it."

Edward clicked his tongue. "Do you even understand what you're saying, Harry?" he chided. "We are two different beings. We are _meant_ to dislike each other because we can _kill_ each other."

"Well, I could kill _you_."

He snapped his teeth together and glowered at Harry.

"I could kill _you_ _both_," the young wizard continued. He flicked his eyes between them. "But I'm still friends with you, right? _You_ aren't making any sense at all. So what if you can kill each other? You _aren't_ killing each other right now, which means that you are allowed to get along. Got it?"

"That's not how it works," Seth tried to say.

"Well, it's how things work in _my_ head. So shake hands. Now."

"You don't _know_ anything, Harry," Edward insisted.

"Argh!" Harry started rending his hair. "Why are you making this so difficult?"

Seth exhaled loudly. "Fine." He stuck his hand out. "Happy?"

"Edward."

The vampire resisted rolling his eyes. Why did Harry have to be like this? He angrily took Seth's outstretched hand.

Both of them hissed and jumped apart while shaking their fingers a second later.

"What? What happened?" Harry stammered.

"You _burned_ me," they exclaimed in unison.

"Huh?" He grabbed Edward's hand and turned it over. It looked fine to him. He reached out to grab Seth's hand to do the same. Then he understood. "Oh, that's fine," he said firmly and with a smug smile. "You guys feel different, that's all. Just an accident."

Seth scowled. "It hurt," he grumbled.

"It was rather unpleasant for me as well," Edward added.

"Now, now." Harry patted their arms gently. "I am very proud of you for putting aside differences. It was fine, wasn't it? The world didn't explode or anything. Just two regular guys shaking hands. Awesome. So easy. Don't even know what all the fuss was for."

All that fuss got a bit of attention. Bella and Jacob were staring at the three of them from their spot by the truck.

"Let's go!" Harry said eagerly. Before anyone could stop him, he had grabbed his shopping bag off the ground and started strolling towards them without a care in the world. "Hello, Bella," he greeted with a wave. "Who's this?"

"Uh, Jake. Jacob," she blushed.

"Cool, cool." Harry held his hand out. "Hello, Jacob. I'm Harry."

"I know." Jacob shook his hand carefully. He didn't remind Harry that they had met before under vastly different circumstances. His expression quickly turned stony as Edward approached them with Seth behind him.

"Bella," Edward murmured while nodding once.

"Hey," she mumbled. "Fancy meeting you guys here, huh?" She laughed weakly.

"I know," Harry grinned. "Fancy that. Anyways, what are you up to?"

"Nothing," she was quick to say. "We just ran into each other here as well. Coincidences and stuff, huh…" She laughed again. It was all very awkward.

"Edward," Harry added, "this is Jacob. You guys have met before, right?" Bella turned bright red while the vampire and shapeshifter attempted to silently stare each other to death. "Great! So, do you go to school with Seth, Jacob?"

"Hmm."

"Seth's pretty great, yeah?" Harry glanced at Seth while beaming wide. "I visited his house a little while ago. Met his sister, Leah. She's… pretty cool too."

Bella nodded in ascent. "Yes, she is quite different from Seth," she remarked.

"Definitely."

Edward made a disparaging noise without warning and shifted his weight. Evidently he had heard something uncouth in Jacob's head.

And, evidently, Jacob didn't take kindly to the snort. "You stay away from Bella," Jacob snarled while taking a step towards him.

"I should be asking you to do the same," Edward muttered, holding his ground.

"I've seen the way you look at her. You aren't as subtle as you think you're being. I'll rip your head off if you-"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Everyone's attention was on Harry once again.

"What do you mean he looks at her?" he asked. His hands rested against his hips and his brows knit together tightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Stay out of this," Edward muttered under his breath.

"I'm not staying out of this." Harry turned to Bella while gritting his teeth. "What's that mean, Bella? He's been looking at you?"

She glanced away and stuffed her hands inside her pockets.

"Edward!"

"I haven't been looking at her, alright?" Edward snapped. "Just stop talking for one damned second!"

Harry shoved him furiously. Edward exhaled in frustration and retaliated in kind. Not one to be outdone, Harry tried to kick his shins, but he easily sidestepped the flying foot.

As the two of them squabbled by the empty street, Jacob hazarded a look at Bella. "What's going on?" he hesitated. Bella tried not to look too guilty while shrugging.

"You _know_ why I'm looking at her!" Edward finally spat out.

Harry suddenly grew subdued and started to turn bright red. "Uh." He had just remembered. "Y-yeah. I know," he stuttered. "You don't have to throw a tantrum about it."

Edward just gave up right then and there. Hopeless. Everyone was hopeless. He threw his hands up in the air, storming away to fume in the privacy of his car. He had half the mind to just leave Harry to find his own way back home. Teach him a much needed lesson or two.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "So… Bella… When you say he's _looking_ at you, what do you _mean_ exactly?" he murmured.

"I um… I don't know. Just, like, _looking_, you know?"

"Like how?"

"I don't know, Harry."

"Because… he feels a bit protective of you," he confessed. He was met with confused silence. "Haven't you noticed?" he prompted her.

"I… I'm… I mean, n-no? Or yes?" she stammered. "Protective? Me?"

"You see, he likes how you smell."

"WHAT?" Seth and Jacob shouted.

Edward was in his car, thumping his head against the steering wheel.

"No, no," Harry rushed. "He likes the way her blood smells."

"WHAT?"

"She's _special_. You're special, Bella."

"Oh my God…"

He shook his head out of mounting exasperation. "You are _all_ taking this _way_ out of proportion," he insisted. Why was it so hard for them to understand? He had understood these things in a jiffy, hadn't he? And he wasn't even all there in his head! He looked at Bella. "He feels protective of you and if he's looking at you it's because he doesn't want you to get hurt." He looked to Jacob. "If you really like Bella, then Edward's got nothing to say about it, alright? As long as you're nice to her and stuff, it's all good." He looked at Seth. "And you've got to keep being friends with him."

He was met with three gaping mouths.

"Yup." He scuffed his shoe against the cracked pavement. "Well… I should go now." He turned on his heel and scurried away.

Edward kept his eyes on the dashboard when the passenger door opened and Harry eased in, meek as a mouse. "Done with your meddling?" he muttered.

"Mhm."

He sighed irritably before starting the car. "Unbelievable."

Harry chewed on the side of his cheek and kept glancing at Edward as they pulled out of the lot and got onto the road. He had been known to jump to conclusions before. He fiddled with the handles of the bag on his lap. So _maybe_ he had felt a _little_ jealous when Jacob talked about Edward _looking_ at Bella. And _maybe_ he had overreacted first. He was really sorry about it now. He picked at the thin plastic. It's just that... Edward wasn't allowed to look at _anyone_ _else_.

The car jolted to a halt without warning, causing his seatbelt to snap in place. "Oof," he grunted as he was thrown forward a bit before jerking back against the seat. He looked out the windshield wildly, trying to figure out what had happened.

He was yanked to the side and kissed.

Just for a few seconds though.

Then Edward let go of him, still frowning. "Why would you think things like that?"

Harry blinked at him. Was he supposed to _not_ think those things? He couldn't help what he thought, could he?

"What have you got to be jealous of?" Edward pressed on. "Of… of _Bella_? Or me _looking_ at her? Why are you mad at me for _looking_ a person, Harry?"

He didn't know. It was unreasonable. He didn't know why he got jealous. He just did. He got jealous and he said what he thought. That's that.

Edward clicked his tongue in defeat. He was destined to never understand Harry. He shook his head and released the parking brake. Also… since _when_ did he lose his temper? Harry was bringing out a strange side of him. He pulled back onto the highway and kept driving.

Harry felt so bad. He had never felt so bad _ever_. He swallowed hard while keeping his head down. He knew he was stupid. He had poked his nose where it didn't belong and he had embarrassed everyone thoroughly. Bella was probably furious, Jacob most likely thinks he's weird, and poor Seth must be more confused than ever. Even Edward felt bad and it was all his fault. He should just learn to keep his mouth shut.

"Don't do that."

He flicked his eyes at Edward.

"I love that you say what you want to say… And I'm sorry I snapped at you."

Harry wiped his cheeks dry. "Yeah?" he sniffed.

"Of course I'm sorry."

"I know."

"And I love that you don't mind picking fights with me, okay? No one's ever tried."

"I… I like picking fights too."

He laughed tiredly. "You're one of a kind, you know that?" he murmured. "I've never raised my voice before. You really do bring out the worst in me, Harry."

"Hmm."

"And the best."

Harry squirmed. "You're too nice."

"What can I say? I hate to see you feeling sad."

He leaned over and rested his head against Edward's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "That was stupid."

"It was. You were very stupid."

"I'm the stupidest."

"You certainly are."

"I'm glad you forgive me."

"Because I'm the best."

"You're the best," Harry echoed. Then he was interrupted by the ring of his cell phone. He tsked. They were having a moment right there_._ He pretended not to hear Edward chuckle as he glared at the caller ID. Alice always ruined everything. He jabbed the button and stuck the phone near his ear. "We were _just_ having a-"

"STOP THE CAR!"

Edward slammed on the brakes and veered right as hard as he could. The car skidded with an angry screech, spinning out of control across the deserted highway. Then came the shattering crash as it slammed into an invisible barrier at an incredible speed. Glass fragmented into sharp shards and metal screamed as it was twisted and crumpled. The car tipped over from the momentum, rolling twice before groaning to a halt on its side.


	32. Chapter 32

Edward recovered from his shock rapidly and blinked back the smoke that was slowly filling the car. He unclipped the seatbelt, holding himself before he could fall to the other side. He bit back a groan when he saw Harry unconscious, pressed against the door that had scraped against the road. His head was bleeding and his right arm was crooked just above the elbow. Edward carefully stepped down past him to try and undo his seatbelt. When the buckle refused to pull free, he ripped it off unceremoniously. Harry nearly slumped against the shattered glass of the passenger window, but Edward caught him before that, trying to jostle him as little as possible. He shielded Harry as he kicked off the cracked windshield with relative ease. It wasn't difficult to climb out after that. He cradled Harry in his arms and raced a little way away, pausing at the shoulder to place him down. He didn't want to risk more injury by moving him further.

He looked back at the nearly unrecognizable car that looked like it was about to burst into flames any second.

"Hmm…"

He whipped his head around and cupped Harry's damp cheeks. "Hey, Harry," he rushed. "You need to wake up now. You need to open your eyes and look at me."

Harry did as he was told. He was just barely able to look up, his vision blurry and wavy. "What haapened?" he croaked.

"Don't move it," Edward murmured. Alice had most likely already called for a fire truck and an ambulance. What had they hit? There was nothing on the road. It had felt as though he had rammed into a wall. Harry was squirming and whimpering from discomfort. "You need to lie still," Edward told him. "If you hurt your back, it's-"

He was interrupted by dry laughter from within the woods. Next thing he knew, he was being flung backwards by an unseen force with enough force that he ended up slamming into the road, cracking the tar. Just as he pounced up into a crouched stance, he was thrown forward onto his knees and bound with fierce magic that stilled him, his arms forced behind his back. He roared in frustration while struggling hopelessly.

Rabastan Lestrange had a hooded smirk on his face as he revealed himself from between the trees.

Behind him was his right hand man, Jugson, beady eyed and staring with absent curiosity at the Boy-Who-Lived lying on the gravel. He couldn't understand how this pest was still alive. He stopped short and knelt on one knee beside Harry. He reached down with his gloved hand.

"Don't touch him," Edward snarled.

Jugson flicked his cold eyes up. Without saying a word, he gripped Harry's chin and turned his head to the side while staring at Edward, challenging him to do something about it. Rabastan's smirk widened when he saw the expression on the vampire's face. Jugson looked down after getting bored. He just wanted to see if there were any remnants of what he had done to Potter three years ago. Nothing. Not even a scar on the side of his head. He was disappointed. Of course, the boy was bleeding from a wound on the other side now. But that was very unsatisfying.

Rabastan stopped in front of Edward. "You are very fascinating, Mr. Cullen," he said without pretense. "I have never met a creature quite like you. You give vampires a very good name."

Edward didn't care. He had eyes for Harry alone. He growled when he watched the large man in black touch the side of Harry's head.

Rabastan wasn't used to being ignored. He snapped his fingers once.

Edward gasped as heat seared whatever skin was exposed on his body. It was like fire was licking his neck and hands. He looked up at Rabastan as pain racked his body.

"You will listen now?" Rabastan asked. He withdrew the curse and watched the vampire relax for a moment. "I never did understand how Potter was able to befriend creatures like you with ease. He has a certain charm, doesn't he?"

"Don't hurt him," Edward exhaled.

Rabastan arched a brow in surprise and looked back. Jugson appeared very irritated the more time he spent staring at the injured man on the side of the road. "_Him_?" he scoffed. "I've got no interest in Potter any longer, Mr. Cullen," he assured Edward. "_You_ are so much more. _You_ are what I want."

Edward hid his shock well. His mind was working rapidly. They didn't want Harry. That was good. His family would be there any second now and the emergency team wouldn't be far behind. Harry didn't have to get hurt.

"You see, Potter is just a boy," Rabastan continued while slowly pacing in front of his captive. "And now that he has lost his memories, he is even less appealing to me. He is one of the rest." He paused. "But you I could use. You I could keep, hmm? My magic is stronger than yours. But you are ancient." He reignited the curse without warning. Edward bit back his pained shout. "Telepathic vampire who is immortal. One of a kind." He nodded once at Jugson who got up to his feet silently and stepped over Harry. "Let's go." He pressed the end of his wand to Edward's shoulder.

Before he could disapparate to a safer location, he was driven backwards as a crackling blue curtain dropped down around his cursed prisoner.

Edward jerked when he was unexpectedly released from his bonds and cold air touched his skin. He fell forward on his hands while trying to blink back the agony. He wasn't being tied up by magic anymore.

He lunged forward.

Only to crash into the blue shield and get thrown back.

Rabastan hissed angrily, whipping his head around to find the source of the defensive magic.

His eyes met Harry's.

Edward bellowed when he heard the thoughts in Rabastan's mind.

"Wandless magic?" the Lestrange brother murmured quietly. "_You_ can perform wandless magic?" He didn't falter with his wand. "You _worthless_ child!"

Harry arched up off the ground with a sharp cry as he was hit with a fierce Cruciatus curse. But the shield didn't falter around Edward. Instead it seemed to solidify despite the vampire's fierce attempts to break past the magic. Pain rolled through Harry's body hatefully. Rabastan grew more and more anxious as his curse seemed to do nothing to break the shield around Edward. As he became more murderous, so did the magic pouring out of his wand. He would torture this man to death if he needed to. This was the last straw. How dare a simpleton like Potter possess such magic?

His concentration wavered when he caught a blur out of the corner of his eye. Then, right before him, Jugson was struck with bone crushing speed and flung meters away against the trees. Rabastan didn't think twice before disapparating, narrowly avoiding Jasper's charge.

Edward stumbled forward when the barrier suddenly dissolved into nothing. He staggered towards Harry, falling by his side and pulling him into a desperate hug. "What did you do? Why would you do that, Harry?" He squeezed Harry's trembling body. "Please, please."

Harry was struggling to breathe between heaving sobs, unable to concentrate on anything but the radiating pangs in his limbs. He jarringly realized that he was about to die now. "N-no," he gasped. Not yet. He couldn't die yet.

"Hospital," Alice rushed. "Now."

Before they could move, however, sharp cracks sounded around them.

Three emergency Mediwizards swarmed them. Edward wouldn't let go of Harry, however. "I have to come with you," he begged. "I need to-"

"Fine," one of the Mediwizards muttered gruffly. He grabbed hold of both Edward and Harry before disapparating.

As soon as they landed in the hospital, a stretcher was floating by the apparation point, ready to transport Harry. Edward laid him down gently, biting back a groan when he saw blood pouring out of the young wizard's head and nose. The Mediwizard quickly stuck a piece of thick gauze against the head wound, trying to staunch it.

That jolted Harry into dizzy awareness.

"No," he mumbled blearily. "No, no, no, no-"

Edward clung to his hand as they rushed to the emergency prep room. "It's okay. You'll be okay," he kept saying.

"I-I'm going to die," Harry stammered. He looked at Edward desperately. Their fingers entwined into a tight tangle. "E-Edward, I don't want to die. P-please, I don't want to die. I'm sorry, I-I'm-"

"Losing blood fast," one of the attendants noted. "Do you know his blood type?"

"No," Edward choked out. Why didn't he know? He couldn't think. Harry was hurting so bad. He was going to die. There was so much blood.

Harry was screaming now. He was pleading with the attendants around him, thrashing wildly as he struggled to breathe, shrieking to stay alive. Even as his body started to fail him, his mind was fighting so hard to stay present. He was frightened. He didn't want to die.

Not now.

Not like this.

"You can't come any further, sir."

"NO! PLEASE! NO! DON'T LEAVE ME! EDWARD, PLEASE! _PLEASE_!"

Edward stopped by the doorway, his fingers sliding out of Harry's cold, bloody hand before the door swung shut.


	33. Chapter 33

Ron and Hermione raced through the maze of corridors, pushing past anyone who blocked their way without saying an apologetic word. Dread was threatening to crush them but they had to hold on. They had to see Harry. They staggered to a halt when they saw Edward sitting on his haunches by the hospital room with his head tucked against his knees and his arms curled up around them. "No," Ron breathed. He ran to the door and flung it open.

Hermione dropped near Edward, trying to get him to look up. "What happened?" she stammered. "Please, what happened? You need to tell me."

He didn't speak.

She swept her eyes over his bloody hands and singed clothes. "Please?" she whimpered.

Ron staggered out in horror. He hunched next to his fiancée and hugged her tight, crying into her shoulder. She sank into his arms in disbelief.

Edward pressed his hands to his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. No more. He didn't want to hear anymore of that begging. He didn't want Harry to suffer anymore. Why did this have to happen? Why now? Why like this? He was so helpless. So useless. Harry was terrified… He had cried and fought to stay alive. Wasn't that enough? Why didn't his will keep him alive? He would still be alive if he-

"Edward," Esme whispered into his ear.

He clapped his hands to his mouth before screaming in anguish. He folded into her embrace, shaking uncontrollably as crushing thoughts thundered into his mind, melding into a fierce emotion he had only felt once before… When his mother died, this was what he had felt. So much pain. He was going to go mad. If he stayed, he would go mad. If he stopped screaming…

Esme never loosened her grip on him, letting him know that he wasn't alone. Even if he felt that way, he wasn't alone. Even if he was scaring her, she wouldn't let go. She comforted him by stroking his hair and rubbing circles against his trembling back. He didn't know how else to express himself. He couldn't cry. He couldn't escape into unconsciousness. He couldn't do anything but scream. She knew that. She couldn't bear to hear it. "He's not hurting anymore," she said. "Please, you need to calm down, honey. None of this will bring him back. Don't do this…"

"He was so scared," Edward spewed out desperately. "He was in so much pain. He didn't want to die. He tried so hard. He was saving me. It's my fault. He's dead and it's my fault. I couldn't help him. He didn't want to die. He couldn't-I couldn't-"

She hushed him. "It's not your fault. You didn't hurt him. Other people did. It's not your fault."

"He was so scared, Esme," he heaved. "He was crying and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't-I'm-I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. Oh God… I can't think. It hurts."

Carlisle crouched down next to them and squeezed his son's arm. "You need to get up now, okay?" he murmured. "You need to pull yourself together. There are other people here."

Edward finally looked up over Esme's shoulder.

The corridor was crowded with people, most of who were staring at him in concern. "How long has it-"

"Nearly five hours."

He buried his face against Esme's shoulder again. He couldn't move even if he wanted to. Five hours. How many more without Harry? "Where is he?"

"They took him down to the morgue."

He shook his head with vehemence. "He'll hate it down there," he mumbled. "He won't like it."

Carlisle looked at Esme worriedly. "Let's go to the waiting room," he said while getting up and easing Edward off the floor.

"Wait for what?"

"We'll wait for you to get more sensible."

They managed to escort him into the busy and quiet room with couches and chairs, making him sit on the wooden seat. Carlisle bent down in front of him and pulled down the skin under his eyes. "You're in shock, Edward," he explained. "You need to feed. You need to get out of this place. Too many thoughts. You probably can't see straight. Does your head hurt?"

"Yes…"

"Do you think you will be able to hunt?"

"I… I can't do anything."

He didn't protest when Rosalie took the seat next to his and tugged him close. He wished he could sleep. Then this would all be a bad dream and he would wake up next to Harry in the morning. He closed his eyes and rested his head against his sister's arm. He had never felt this weak before. "I'll help you," Rosalie murmured into his ear. "We'll find the people who did this. We'll kill them." He nodded silently. "He would hate to see you like this."

He knew that. He knew Harry would be insanely angry with him for breaking down like this. He wanted Harry to get mad. He wanted Harry to stay alive.

Eventually he was made to understand that they were in a wizarding hospital in California. When they were attacked, a distress signal had been activated at the British Ministry. They had contacted the American Ministry and coordinated the emergency team. They had arrived just four minutes after the signal had been triggered. Jugson was in custody but he suffered major injuries from the blow he had received by Alice. Rabastan Lestrange was missing. And Harry…

Edward was brought back to the present when he felt a hesitant touch against his shoulder. He looked up and blinked at Hermione. "Ah… I-I'm…" he broke off when he realized that he didn't know what he was supposed to say.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded mechanically.

"Are you really?"

He continued nodding.

She sighed shakily. "Are you hurt, Edward?" she pressed him.

"No."

"Alice said-"

"I'm okay."

Hermione didn't push him any further. "Okay, that's good," she said. She looked at Rosalie, who got up silently. She sat in the beautiful vampire's place. "Do you mind if I cleaned you up a bit?" she hesitated. He looked at her strangely. She gestured at his arms.

He looked down at himself. He was caked in blood and grime. "Oh."

She pulled her wand out. "It won't hurt, okay?" she murmured.

"I know." Edward looked away as Hermione made the blood fade and disappear with short twists of her wand. She even mended some of the rips in his clothes haphazardly. He tried not to react to the slight pulls and pushes he felt against his skin. It sent sparks of fear into his spine but he bore it quietly. "Harry… He… he was saving me," he mumbled.

"I know. It's what he does."

"He fought to stay alive," he continued. He wanted Hermione to know. "They had to resuscitate him five times. His heart would stop but it would start again when they tried to revive him. He kept fighting. He's so strong. I never knew."

"Hey."

He looked at her.

"We don't blame you. I know you tried to help him. I know that."

"But they were after me," he said. "They weren't going to hurt Harry. If I hadn't-"

Hermione stopped him by holding up her hand. "I know how you feel, Edward," she said empathetically. "I _know_. It's so easy to blame yourself, so easy to say, 'if only'. Harry did it too, after the war. Always thinking about everyone who died, always thinking, 'if only they didn't care about me as much as they did'. The guilt never left him, not until his memories were taken away. It's easy to feel stuck." She held his hand as a comforting gesture. "You know, he's always fought in life. But the last time he faced death, he walked right into it. This time he wouldn't go without putting up a good struggle. That's something to hold onto."

Edward pursed his lips as his breath caught against his throat.

"He loved you." She wiped her stinging eyes. "He… he wrote to me a little while ago. He was so excited about everything he was going to do when he came back to London. He thought the world of you. He would never blame you." She exhaled slowly to still her shaky voice. "He's been happier in Forks than he's been anywhere else. I want you to remember that."

"You hate me," Edward said quietly.

"No."

"I can hear you. I know… I know what everyone really thinks. I know what he was thinking before he died. I know how much pain he was in. I know he loved me. I know you hate me."

"Edward, look at me."

He shook his head. He couldn't bear to hear these things any longer.

She made him turn and nudged his chin up so their eyes met. "Do you really believe that I hate you?" she asked. "Do you truly believe that I could hate Harry's best friend? Hmm?"

"I don't know," he croaked. "I don't know what to believe…"

"Can I give you a hug?"

"Mhm."

Hermione slid her arms around his neck and let her heat warm him. "You will be alright," she whispered. "You're strong like him. He gets along with strong people. Please try to remember him smiling, okay?"

He didn't know if that was possible.

He couldn't remember how he got back to Forks. He couldn't remember a lot that happened that day, in fact. He stayed in his room listening to his music, refusing to see anyone. Harry's body was going to be sent to London. He should be buried there. Edward wished everything could happen closer to home, but he didn't argue. Carlisle had already contacted the school about the tragedy and it wasn't long before all the students received word. The Cullen household was buzzing with phone calls of concerned folks offering their condolences and expressing their shock. Edward ignored the calls he was receiving on his cell. He couldn't bear to speak with any more of Harry's friends. Everyone at Forks believed that Harry had passed away in a car accident. It pained him to think that he couldn't tell them the truth. As night fell, his home was buzzing with Aurors wanting his statement. He spoke concisely, giving them everything they wanted to know and nothing more or less. Alice corroborated his statement with the vision she had had about the car crash and Rabastan Lestrange.

Before he knew it, it was a brand new day.

He wandered into Harry's room. Teddy had been sent back to Andromeda's. He flinched outwardly when he felt a pang of pain upon thinking about Teddy and what he must be going through. He must be crying, poor child. He was old enough to know what it meant to lose someone. Edward pushed the aching thought out of his mind and swept his eyes across the room. It was a mocking reminder of how normal everything had been twenty-four hours ago. Harry had begged and pleaded with him because he really wanted to go to the store and buy candy. Teddy had imitated his godfather to the tee, from the puppy dog eyes to his clasped hands. How could Edward say no?

He sat down atop Harry's unmade bed. There was no warmth on it. He swept his hand against the sheets. Sweet Harry. He pulled his legs up onto the blanket and laid his head against the pillow. He was going to pretend for just a second. He inhaled slowly, smelling the human scent against the fibers. He eased himself under the duvet and pulled it over his head. Harry liked to sleep like this, hidden in stifling warmth. Edward's fingers brushed against cold metal at one end of the bed. He opened his eyes. Harry's laptop…

He pulled it near and opened it. There was no password. He slowly navigated through the desktop that had a messy spattering of files all over it. He opened the first one up. Harry had never let him read these before.

Maybe he wouldn't mind now.

* * *

There was a memorial service at the school on Monday. The students had been told that Harry's funeral was to be held in England where his family could attend. The service was as somber as a funeral, in any case. Held in the large gymnasium, students wore black ribbons and left single roses on the table. Those who knew him more personally brought slices of greasy pizza because if there was one thing Harry loved, it was surely the cafeteria pizza. Counselors spoke with groups, helping them deal with such a sudden loss. Teachers comforted each other and their students with encouraging words. Everyone knew that Harry brightened every conversation he was a part of. He was a hardworking and cheerful person. That is how he would be remembered.

The Cullens stood against the back wall, appearing morbidly picturesque in their black clothes. Alice held Edward's hand as well as Jasper's. They were both being so strong, standing in a room filled with sadness. She looked up at her brother. "Shouldn't you feed?" she gently pressured him.

"I don't think I can hunt," he answered.

"Shall I hunt for you?"

He nodded.

"Okay. We'll go after this, hmm?"

"Thank you."

She stopped speaking. Harry's friends would be approaching them soon.

Edward looked up when he heard her thoughts. Sure enough, the five of them were walking over nervously. They looked exhausted with their puffy red eyes and slightly grey complexion. They stopped in front of the Cullens and quietly murmured their condolences.

"It's… I don't think I can believe it yet," Angela faltered. "He's… He was pretty great, right?" She pressed her tissue to her eyes while sniffing.

"He was the best," Eric said vehemently. "It's not fair. He was so young and it's… It's just not fair."

"W-was he hurt bad?" Ashley asked between quiet sobs.

Edward caught himself before he could blurt out his ill-formed words. Thankfully Rosalie was there for him. "There were complications," she replied. "His heart failed once he got to the hospital."

Ashley turned to hug Mike while crying. Angela looked like she was going to be sick.

But Bella only had eyes for Edward.

The last time she saw Harry, he had made an utter fool of himself and then gotten in the car with Edward. They were in the accident together. Not many people knew that. She reached out to touch his arm.

He couldn't be near her right now. He was too volatile. "Excuse me," he mumbled as he let go of Alice and slipped away from Bella. He needed air. He quietly walked out of the gym, leaving a few observant students to stare after him.

"Is he okay?" Bella asked in concern.

Alice nodded. "He's okay. He's still shaken up. He's taking this really hard."

Edward leaned against the brick façade of the school, pressing the pads of his fingers against his closed eyes. Was this what he had to live with? He didn't know if he could. He wanted to run away. He wanted to start over. Forget this…


	34. Chapter 34

Edward blinked once upon reading the title of one of the unnamed documents he had opened up on Harry's laptop.

_When I Die_

He hovered over the small red x on the top corner of the screen for a moment before steeling himself and moving the cursor away. He forced his gaze down to keep reading.

_When I die, I do not want anyone to cry. I want them to say, "Well, he had a good run. Now let's leave him be and get on with things." That is what I want. __But I also want a BIG funeral. I do not want flowers. I want lots of people – friends and family and all. I want everyone to wear nice clothes. Then they will walk up to my coffin and say nice things about me. If anyone says anything bad, Emmett has to kick them out. Promptly._

Edward grazed his fingers against those words. He could hear Harry in his head.

_After everyone has said nice things about me, I will be buried. I want to be buried next to my mother and father. Even if I can't remember them, it would be nice. I am sure they will be happy to see me. If anyone is crying, someone should hug them better. Teddy can do that. I hope I am not too ugly when I die. I do not want to be old, grey AND ugly. That is just too much. Maybe use some magic to make me not so ugly. That way people will have MORE nice things to say about me._

_I bet Edward will say the NICEST things._

He clenched his teeth.

_I bet he will say the stupidest things too. I do not want him to talk too much because I know he will just make people cry. He is good at talking, that is why. Just give him TWO minutes to talk. I know he will be so sad. He will be so, so, so, so sad. He will be quiet and sad all at the same time. And it makes me sad to think that._

He pressed a hand to his mouth in an attempt to muffle his catching breath.

_He is the only one who is allowed to be sad! No one else is allowed to cry! It is a rule I just made up. Besides, he won't cry because he can't. But he is the only one who is allowed to be sad enough to want to cry. He is allowed to be sad because I am his ONLY best friend. Everyone else has lots of other best friends, so they have nothing to be sad about at all._

_I LOVE YOU, EDWARD! DON'T YOU DARE LOVE ANYONE MORE THAN YOU LOVE ME! OR I WILL HAUNT YOU!_

_That can happen. Ghosts can happen. Maybe I will come back as a ghost…_

_And all my money goes to Teddy because he's an awesome dude!_

Edward scrambled out of bed and ran for the door. Nothing was worth the pain. Nothing was worth this. If Harry's wasn't with him, speaking to him, laughing at him, loving him…

"No." Alice clutched her brother's arms and swung him outwards, slamming him against the wall hard enough to smash through the drywall and beams of the bathroom. He was sent sprawling across the tiles. Before he could catch his bearings, she was above him, holding him down and shouting for help. It took him just a split second to understand. He let out an enraged roar.

Just as Carlisle and Jasper blurred into the hallway, Alice was thrown backwards into the door to Harry's bedroom. It splintered under her weight, but she was expecting this retaliation. "Stop him," she rushed even before she landed on the floor with a sharp crack.

Carlisle found Edward crouched in the devastated bathroom. He was breathing heavily and he stood crouched with his head down. "Edward?" the doctor called.

"STOP HIM!"

Jasper did not hesitate like Carlisle. He rammed into Edward before he could lunge forward. They struck the marble armoire, bursting the faucet and pipe. Water gushed over them as they snarled and roared at each other. Edward was fierce. He swung his fists and gnashed his teeth with terrifying precision. Jasper wouldn't be able to hold up for much longer. But Emmett was already there. He picked Jasper up with ease and tossed him towards the hallway before grabbing Edward by the shoulders and hauling him up. Alice was being helped up by Carlisle and Esme stood beside Rosalie, frightened by the destruction around her children. Pieces of wood, stone, and cement littered the cracked floors. Dust was marring their vision. "Enough," Emmett barked. He forced Edward against the crumbling walls.

But he overestimated his brother's sanity.

Edward kicked his feet forward, catching Emmett's shins and causing them to fracture. He collapsed to the ground in shock as his broken legs refused to hold him up. Before he could react to the rare stabbing pain, he was dragged up by the collar and a fist crushed half of his ribs. He gasped out his disbelief.

On Edward's face, all he saw was fury and desperation. He looked like a caged animal. He was inhuman. Murderous.

Emmett closed his eyes instinctually. One final blow.

It never landed.

Instead, the grip that had been holding him up was gone and he flopped back onto the floor, unable to hold himself up because of his wounded limbs. From his vantage point on the bathroom tiles, he saw his wife. She was so beautiful… He stared at her cascading gold hair falling over half her face as she slammed her fist against Edward's jaw. The way she hissed and spat, how she moved with fluidity to escape quick punches and sharp nails, her deadly eyes locked on the one who dared hurt her beloved, ready to kill-

Emmett blinked out of his haze in horror and his gaze slipped from Rosalie to Edward.

He was staring up at his sister unblinkingly even as his body went through the motions of putting up a fight. He was waiting.

Waiting…

Waiting to die.

Ready to die…

"Rose," Emmett exhaled heavily.

She froze on the spot, her fingers gripping Edward's neck, so close to ripping the bones and petrified flesh off in one vicious pull. Only when she stopped did she realize what she was about to do. With a startled cry, she scrambled off of Edward and towards her husband, cradling him in her arms. He tried to calm her down with comforting words. He was already healing. He slid his hands over hers and clutched them tight, pulling her back to the present.

Edward didn't have any fight left in him. Rosalie hadn't killed him. Why? What more did he have to do to die?

He sat up, smashed ceramic and marble falling from his hair and clothes as he jostled them out of place. He flinched when he heard the tinkling sounds, remembering the sounds of windows shattering from the accident. Harry must have been terrified when the car spun out of control. Harry must have felt each cut, every scrape, all the pain. Harry had died even after fighting to stay alive. Edward pulled his knees up to his chest. Then why couldn't _he_ die even after fighting to get killed?

What more did he have to do?

He knew Esme's soft touch the moment she wrapped an arm around him. He leaned into her. That's right. He wasn't like Harry. He isn't mortal. Death would be too easy.

"Please stop hurting for a little while. We love you so much," she whispered. "Don't do this. It's not worth it." She rubbed soothing circles against his back. "Your life is too precious. You will only end up hurting us if you keep hurting as well."

* * *

Hermione brushed back her tears and looked up from the paper in her hand. "Wh-where did you get this from?" she asked.

"His computer," Edward murmured.

She laughed tearfully. "He writes the way he talks, doesn't he? It's amazing."

"I know."

She nodded twice. "Okay. We'll do it his way." She wiped her nose with her handkerchief. "No crying."

His funeral was conducted in a day's time at Godric's Hollow, four days after his passing.

It was a sunny April morning and the smell of freshly dug soil wafted around the cemetery. A cold breeze spread the scent along.

Just as he had wanted, there were no flowers and so many people. Dressed to the nines, the line of men, women, and children snaked around a few times between tombstones before ending at the open casket that was placed on a marble table.

Harry looked his best. No blood, no tears… His eyes were lightly shut and his expression slackened. He wore a black suit and his hands were clasped against his stomach where his wand lay, ready to be buried with its rightful owner.

Many nice words were uttered that day. A lot of love was shared. Strangers hugged each other for consolation and quiet stories were shared. Even if they would never know how he had suffered before he died, they would know that he was a good man. They would know that he was a kind and caring person. The Cullens stood apart from the line of well-wishers. They had monopolized Harry for three years now. The least they could do was keep out of the way of the people who wanted one last glimpse of the Boy-Who-Lived.

After Andromeda and Teddy had said their goodbyes, they wandered towards the vampire family that everyone else was giving a wide berth to. As Andy spoke with Carlisle and Esme, Teddy sidled towards Edward and tugged his hand. Edward knelt down dutifully to lend an ear.

"I have a secret," the boy mumbled. He leaned forward. "Harry's secret."

"You want to tell me?" Edward asked.

"Yes. I want to tell you." He rested his hands on Edward's shoulders. "He said he loves me more than he loves you," he whispered. Then he pulled back to stare at the young vampire, to watch his expression.

Edward smiled for the first time in ages. "But I think I love him more than you love him," he answered.

"No _way_," Teddy retorted while attempting a trembling smile of his own. "_I_ love him _more_. I love him _this_ much." He threw his arms out to the sides. "I love him _this_ much…" His smile faltered and he brought his arms together around Edward's neck. "I love him more…" He rested his cheek on Edward's shoulder. "Don't be sad."

"I'll try so hard."

"Me too. I'll try so hard. I'll be happy. I'll be just like Harry."

"You're already just like him," Edward assured Teddy. "You're already so much like him…"

It took over two hours for the funeral to end. The Cullens were last. Carlisle bowed his head in silence. Esme whispered quiet and kind words. Alice and Jasper clutched each other's hand as they stared at Harry without speaking. Emmett crossed his arms against his chest and took a heavy breath. Rosalie placed a soft black pebble by the wand to ward off demons.

Edward leaned in to press a gentle kiss on Harry's forehead. "Sleep well," he whispered. "Say hello to your parents for me. I am so much more because of you. I want you to know that. I love you for that. Forever."

As the coffin was shut and lowered into the grave, tears flowed aplenty. Teddy tried glaring at everyone who was crying, but it was to no avail. As noon faded away, a new grey stone was embedded in the dark soil, mirroring the weathered gravestones on the left. A sordid reminder. The crowd soon dispersed until only a handful remained.

"Edward?" Teddy asked while pulling at the vampire's trousers. Edward acknowledged him by lightly ruffling his hair. He wrapped his arms around Edward's leg. "Are you going to stay with us now?" he wanted to know.

Edward looked down in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Teddy didn't look up at him. "Harry said you were all going to come live with us here. Will you still do that?" he asked.

"You won't mind?"

The boy shook his head quickly. "I want you to come. I want you to stay here and play Quidditch with me, even if it's pretend Quidditch. We'll pretend Harry's here too." He quickly wiped his tears against his sleeves. "We'll have fun, all of us. Will you stay?"

"Yes."

Teddy hid his shy smile from Edward. "Okay. I'm happy," he sniffed.

Once the Cullens had returned to the small inn they were staying at, Edward revealed that he wanted to live in England from now onwards. No one was surprised, but they were very concerned about his motives. He assured them that he meant no trouble. He told them about Harry's wish for all of them to move away with him and live in a world where they didn't have to hide. He explained to them Harry's worry about the shapeshifters and proposed this as a solution. Of course, they didn't agree at once. They had to return to Forks the next day, but Edward was already planning his journey back to London. He would hold no grudge against his family if they wished to stay. Their home was in Forks, after all. For the past few years, they had built relations with the people. While it seemed too easy for Edward to move, it couldn't be that simple for the rest of his family.

Once they were back in Forks, Edward left them alone to decide what they wanted to do. He took a walk out in the forest that Harry frequented when he wanted to clear his head. He had a magical marker on him that would alert the Ministry if something were to go wrong. He wasn't worried. If Rabastan tried to capture him again, he wouldn't hesitate to kill the man or die trying. He wandered aimlessly, thinking about all the kind words that were said at the funeral and how peaceful Harry had looked. Esme was right. Once you die, there is no pain. Even though Harry hadn't wanted to die, Edward was glad that he didn't have to feel pain any longer.

He stopped in his tracks when he felt a presence behind him.

He turned to meet Seth's careful gaze. "Hello."

Seth nodded once. "Can you tell me what happened?" he asked. He wasn't one to beat around the bush.

Edward was glad there was at least one person he could explain everything to from the start to finish. He told Seth about who Harry was and how he had lost his memories. He spoke of all the things Harry had done before he came to Forks, about how he was folk hero to the people back in Europe. He recounted Harry's enthusiasm and love for magic. And he described the accident as well as he could remember.

Seth was silent once Edward had finished.

"His funeral was yesterday," the vampire murmured. "There were so many people. People I've never seen, people who cared for him, felt so much sadness and desperation that… even after being through so much, he…"

"He seemed nice," Seth said.

Edward smiled at him. "He thought you were great too."

"Nah, he was just being nice to me."

"No, it was real. He was always so real. He thought you were great. He was genuinely concerned about your kind once I had explained everything."

"Hmm. He always spoke his mind?"

"Always."

"Are you sad?"

"He's… He was my best friend."

"And what are you going to do?"

Edward looked away. What to do… It's all he thought about nowadays. Every day passed by so slowly. "He always said that I could do whatever I want…"

"So?"

"I'm leaving."

Seth crossed his arms against his chest and sighed. "Yeah. I figured. Did he tell you to?"

"Yes."

"You don't have to do that, you know? Don't feel obligated by promises you made to the dead. Whether you keep them or not, they will always watch over you."

"No, he's right." Edward shook his head. "We should have left when you started changing. We shouldn't be this selfish. This has been your home for generations. So we will leave and maybe you can be human again."

"Maybe." Seth didn't like the idea much but who was he to argue. "I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me this."

"He made us shake hands."

The young shapeshifter laughed. "Yeah, he was pretty weird, huh? I've never really met anyone like him. I'm glad I did. Everyone in town says he was the happiest guy."

"He tried," Edward mumbled. "He loved being happy, I suppose."

"And I suppose he would want you to do whatever made you happy, right?"

"Definitely."

"Going away will make you happy?"

Edward couldn't be sure. "It's something I need to try. Being here is…" He trailed off.

"Then you should try it," Seth concluded. "Not because he made you promise, but because he would want you to get over this and be happy, right?" He tilted his head.

Edward chuckled brokenly. "How old are you?" he asked.

The shapeshifter scowled. "What's _that_ got to do with anything?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all…"

Once Edward returned after feeding, his family had come to a decision.

Yes, they were willing to move their life to England.

But the process would be tedious. They would need to properly immigrate through the American Ministry of Magic. It could take up to a year for the paperwork to be established. For Edward, a year used to go by so quickly. Now, each hour was a painstaking reminder of the mortal lives around him. He couldn't wait a year. But his family had a solution for him. He would be allowed to visit England for a year on a visitor's permit. He could go ahead of his family and set up the house for them.

He was ecstatic. He couldn't bear to stay in the house full of reminders of Harry. Instead of thinking of the past, he wanted to force himself to think about the future. The past was too grim and horrifying. He would be happier if he tried to accomplish everything Harry had wanted him to accomplish. That started with moving to a new place where he would be accepted more readily than amongst non-magical humans. Then he would just have to figure out what he wanted to do because Harry told him that he could be _anything_ he wanted to be. He would read books all day and visit new towns at night. He would do everything Harry wanted him to do. He would pretend Harry was right beside him, holding his hand and excitedly pointing at sights. He felt that that was better than thinking back. He needed to think forward.

He didn't finish his last year at high school. He didn't even say goodbye. He simply left as soon as he could. Teddy was waiting to play pretend Quidditch with him.


	35. Chapter 35

The cemetery was wet from the downpour and the heavy sound of raindrops echoed calmly. Edward slowed when he saw a familiar figure shrouded in black standing by the Potter gravesite under a large umbrella. He approached quietly, stopping beside Draco.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come to the funeral," the young wizard murmured.

"No need to apologize."

He looked at the vampire for a beat before continuing his examination of the newest gravestone. "It's a curse, isn't it?" he thought out loud.

"What do you mean?"

"His life. It was always cursed."

Edward didn't agree. "I think he just loves too much," he offered as an alternative. "That's not a curse."

"He's hurt everyone who loves him."

"By dying?"

"Yes."

Edward felt like that was a very unfair thing to say. Anyone who died left behind people they loved, hurting them in one way or another. It wasn't fair to blame Harry for the pain that went hand in hand with loss. "Did you love him?" he asked.

Draco smiled drily. "I thought you could read minds," he muttered.

"I can't read what you hide from me."

He flicked his eyes away, appearing thoughtful. He looked at the worn stones that had been frequented by many. Father, mother and a son. How could it not be a curse? "He died saving you…"

"Yes."

"How does that make you feel?"

Edward took a slow breath and let it out. How did that feel? He felt… a lot of things. "He valued my life over his."

Draco knew how that could drive a person insane. "Now imagine him doing that over and over again for the past twenty years," he recalled. "Imagine him willing to die if it meant saving millions of lives. He did it, you know? And he did it just as easily when he helped you and me. Isn't he strange?"

"Yes. Strange."

"Do you want to find Rabastan?"

"Yes."

Draco nodded. "Then I will see you around, hmm?" He walked away without another word.

Rabastan was in hiding. He had to be. Everyone was looking for him. He had made a grave mistake and it was too late to turn back. The Dark Army was falling like flies due to the ferocity of the Auror team. His safety net was being severed around him. Soon he would have nowhere to turn to. He would have to fall. Then it was only a matter of time before his fate was decided. It merely depended on who got to him first.

Edward wasn't ready to face him yet. He didn't tell Rosalie about his meeting with Malfoy. Unlike him, she was ready to kill at a moment's notice. Her sadness was such. For now, he kept Draco's words to himself. For now, he would just grieve.

He was becoming very close to Teddy due to their mutual sadness. The boy grew up so quickly. He didn't smiled as easily as he used to and he was always nervous when Andromeda left to run errands. He had nightmares that sent him shrieking for her. He hugged tight and said 'I love you' as often as he could. It was incredibly difficult for Edward to see these changes. Teddy felt more at ease around him though. He knew that vampires couldn't die. So even when he gave Edward extra long hugs and kisses, he felt relieved knowing nothing could happen.

Ginny smiled up at Edward once Teddy had skipped off to play with Victoire and Lucy. "He's quite taken by you," she hummed. "How does it feel to have a tiny admirer?"

"It feels good," he answered honestly. "I'm…"

"Worried about him?"

"Yes…"

Her smile faded. "Don't be." She leaned against the wall and folded her arms against her chest. "He will only become stronger because of all this. Look at him." She watched Teddy fawn over the messy drawings Lucy had done. "He will be great when he grows up. He's such a happy brat, right?"

Edward knew this. He saw the happiness in Teddy's eyes every day. How was it possible for him to feel this way even after being through such a traumatic event of losing family? He just couldn't understand.

"How are you doing?" Ginny asked.

"Me?" Edward shook his head vaguely. "I'm fine. I've found a flat near Andy's place. I think I can move in before the end of the week."

"Oh, that's great! You must be excited."

He was. He couldn't wait to start exploring the brand new world Harry had opened up for him.

He visited Teddy nearly every day in the evening, after afternoon nap. Teddy was always thrilled to wake up because he knew Edward would be sitting on the floor by his cot, waiting for him. He would cheer loudly before struggling to get out of bed and grab his toys from the chest. Andromeda was glad that there was at least one constant in her grandson's life. Edward would be dragged around the yard to play 'Quidditch' and he would read books out loud when they got tired. They would make believe with little toy figurines and incredible stories. Sometimes, when Teddy had had a bad night, they would talk about things instead. Teddy liked talking to Edward because he always knew what to say to make him feel better. They talked about how to get over his nightmares and why those were just silly dreams.

Edward was also able to meet with many of Harry's friends from the past. Other than the Weasleys, he spoke with schoolmates as well. There was always a funny or surreal anecdote to talk about at small gatherings in Ron and Hermione's house. Edward was almost always invited to those. He knew the couple felt sorry him. He was alright with that. He liked to sit back and listen to them reminisce about the old days. More often than not, he would be asked to recount a funny incident regarding Harry from his end in Forks. He had more than a few to share. He was glad to see that, although Harry had been starkly different before, he still had friends who cared so deeply.

Edward loved solitude as much as Harry had enjoyed company. He often found himself at Godric's Hollow, visiting with a book and sitting at his usual perch on the stone bench a few rows down from the Potter gravesite. One humid summer day, he wasn't alone. He looked over his shoulder when he heard quiet footsteps behind him. It was Draco. He didn't speak as the man walked up to the bench and sat beside him. He was always dressed in the sharpest suits, even in the thick of summer. What was more, he was actually out in public now.

That was because he was cooperating with the Aurors. There was no reason for him to hide any longer. The Dark Army was dying as it was being pulled up from its roots. After many inquisitions and trials, Malfoy had been found to be the victim of the war. Laughable… He unbuttoned the dark grey blazer and took it off, placing it neatly beside him on the stone bench. "You come here much too often," he commented mildly without looking at Edward. He started undoing his cuffs instead so he could roll up his sleeves. "It's not healthy."

"Doesn't that mean you come here just as often?" Edward noted.

"Hmm."

He set his book aside. He was having a hard time reading Draco. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, nothing. I've just…" Draco broke off and shook his head. "Nothing."

Edward didn't press him on that. He looked ahead at the gravestones in Godric's Hollow, some of them centuries old. "It does get better," he said to no one in particular. "People die and the world keeps spinning."

"Isn't that worrisome?" Draco mused.

"I've always thought so."

"What Potter felt for me, it…"

Edward waited patiently. He knew what the problem was with Malfoy. He wanted to speak his mind, but his tongue always betrayed him, stopping him before he could get his words out. It was his defense mechanism, something he had built up to protect himself from blurting out the wrong words.

Draco tried again. "He's… It was… pity. He's always pitied me. I hated him for it. I still hate him for that."

"Is pity bad?"

"Yes."

Edward smiled to himself. "Because I think he pitied me as well," he murmured. He felt Draco's eyes on him, so he continued for his sake. "I've always been alone. Living for this long and being the way I am, I never spoke with anyone other than my family. There was never a reason to. Why would I ever need to interact with people?" He scuffed his shoe against the thick grass. "Then Harry came and he understood this about me. He pitied me. He forced me to make friends with _his_ friends, he dragged me everywhere _he_ went so I wouldn't have a free moment to myself, and he pitied me for shutting myself out from the world. So pity isn't bad. It helped him connect with me. It gave him a reason to stick with me. I'm glad for that."

Draco waved him off. "I suppose we have different ways of thinking," he said.

"We do," Edward smiled. "You are very cynical, Draco. Has anyone ever told you that or have they been too scared to?"

"No, no. I've heard it enough times before. It's how I've been brought up."

He chuckled to himself and tipped his head to show his concession. "Why are you here?" he asked instead.

Draco reached inside his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. He handed it over to Edward. "Some things I was able to dredge up," he explained. Edward didn't unfold the paper. He slid it into the pages of his book instead. Draco noticed but didn't comment. "I don't know where he is exactly, but just give it a few more months," he went on to say. "Rabastan needs to come up for air. You can have him then."

"Alright."

Every morning he watched the sun rise from the apartment he was renting. His bedroom window faced the east. Once the street below was bustling with activity, he would go out in hunt for a new bookshop. There were so many small ones tucked away inside vast marketplaces. Once he found one to his liking, he would browse the books for hours. No one tried to speak with him. His appearance had always been… chilling. Beautiful as ever, especially in the face of grief, he always wore a mask of quiet reflection. No one wished to disturb such a man who was deep in thought. They let him be. If he did not wish to acknowledge them, they would not acknowledge him.

After, he would walk over to the park that filled with more and more people each week of spring and summer. He watched children and parents play tag or eat a picnic under the shade. It was always so lazy. He enjoyed seeing the wonders of magic as balls ran away from laughing babies and ribbons twisted into the air to make intricate designs much to the awe of gap-toothed toddlers. The older ones usually played some variation of tag. Edward was starting to learn quite a bit about magical games, thanks to his time spent with Teddy.

Over the months, Teddy's nightly incidents dwindled. He was better able to cope with monsters because he knew Edward would do everything he could to help. And Edward was glad there was someone who was as expressive and loving as Harry around him, even if it was a five-year-old child. It filled a noticeable void.

After Teddy had been tucked in for bed at nighttime, Edward would take his leave. He had promised Harry that they would explore.

There was so much to see… Quidditch matches, magical displays, beautiful moving paintings, bustling avenues, cheery shopkeepers, strange clothes, languages, food, vehicles, people, and everything.

Everything made his heart ache for what was missing.

He looked up at the bright blue sky dotted with wisps of white clouds. It was a perfect day. Leaves were yellowing, preparing for autumn. The sun was beating down on him, warming him. He enjoyed days like this. Godric's Hollow was buzzing with chirping crickets and tweeting swallows.

He shook out of his musings when a young girl skipped over towards him with a clear intent in her bright blue eyes. Her blonde curls danced against her round face in an eerie display of cheerfulness in an otherwise despondent place. "Hello," she chimed. She stood in front of him with her hands clasped in front of her, appearing innocent as ever. "You look very nice."

Edward smiled. "Thank you, miss," he said with a gracious nod.

"You're _sparkling_." She reached out to touch his hand. "I like that. Look." She balanced on one foot while extending the other to show off her red sequined shoe. "I'm sparkling too."

"I see that. Remarkable."

"Mhm." She quickly brushed her hair out of her face. "Don't worry. My father is right over there." She pointed down the lane at a distant figure walking along slowly with a waddling toddler holding his hand tight. "I'm not lost," she wanted Edward to know so he wouldn't worry for no reason. "How come you sparkle?"

"It's in my skin," Edward told her. "I was born like this. But I only sparkle in the sun, you see?" He demonstrated by moving his arm into the shade.

"Ooh. Pretty."

"Most people think I look silly."

She tsked and shook her head. "They're just jealous that you're so nice looking, mister." She then examined the book that was laying face down on Edward's lap. "Is it a fun story?" she wanted to know.

"Not really," he answered. "A bit sad, in fact."

"Do you want to hear a song?"

Edward was having a hard time keeping up. He nodded. "I'd love to."

"Okay. There's a dance that goes with it too, so you have to watch me, okay?" she said importantly.

"_Watch me, okay?" Harry said with a wide grin. "You'll love it." He waved his wand across the ceiling, sending bright white sparks flying into the air. It was as though miniature fireworks were being lit in his room. "Isn't that fun?" he cheered._

Edward clapped quietly when she finished with a twirl of her pink skirt. She curtsied afterwards. "Thank you. I learned it in school," she told him.

"You have a beautiful voice," he complimented.

"Do _you_ sing?"

"No. But I do play the piano."

She gasped and her eyes went wide. "I'm learning to play it! I can play a lot of little songs. Do you know a lot of songs?" she asked excitedly.

"You could say that," Edward revealed.

"Julie, come here."

She pouted and frowned back at her father who was standing by a flowering bush that her brother wanted to examine. "You come _here_, Daddy," she retorted.

"Jules."

She sighed. "Aw man." She stamped her foot once before looking up at Edward. "It was nice meeting you, mister. Thanks for clapping," she beamed. "You really do look very nice today."

"As do you, Julie."

"Bye bye." She waved before skipping over to her tired father. Edward watched the family of three make their way up the lane, walking hand-in-hand with their heads held high. Being in the cemetery surrounded by men, women, and children who had passed away, he was reminded that dying was not a spectacular event at all. It happened every day all around the world. It's only when a death occurs so close to your heart that you are suddenly aware of the phenomenon.

He got up off the bench and walked over to the Potter gravesite. Many people frequented this place, leaving flowers on all three gravestones to show their sympathy. "Hello," he mumbled. He lowered himself onto his knees. "I was just thinking about Teddy… He's okay. He's been a little sad lately, that's all. You missed his birthday… He wanted you to be there. But you already know that. I'm sure you wanted to be there." He brushed the soil off of the gravestone and picked up the wilted flowers. "I just wish there was more I could do."

_Help_. "Sometimes it feels like he's helping me more than I'm helping him. As embarrassing as that sounds… I know. I'm hopeless, Harry. You already knew that."

_Darkness_. "But I'm starting to enjoy the sun more. Isn't that great? I'm glad you asked me to move. This is such a different world. You would have loved to live here."

_Breathe. _His phone was ringing in his pocket. "Ron and Hermione are getting married. I'm sorry you are going to miss it. They… I think… she's afraid to wait. Everyone's afraid to wait. Anything could happen."

_Trapped_. "I miss you. I love you."

He reached in his pocket after sweeping his hand over the stone one last time. "Alice?" he mumbled as he brought the phone up to his ear. "I was-"

His stone heart plunged into his stomach when he heard her frantic and almost incoherent screams.

"LISTEN! JUST LISTEN, EDWARD!"

The phone slipped from his hand, landing on the soft grass by the grave.


	36. Chapter 36

Hermione was in the middle of a department meeting when her fiancé came crashing in through the door, complete in his sooty smock and wild hair. Her shocked yelp when he grabbed her wrist didn't deter him. He dragged her out of the conference room, much to the astonishment of her colleagues, and raced through the crowded corridors to get to the Apparation Point from where he quickly disapparated with her. They landed directly in the St. Mungo's front entrance. At that point, Hermione stopped tugging her hand and her heart thundered in her chest as she feared the worst. She let Ron pull her along. Her feet felt like lead and all she could hear in her head was her pulse. She couldn't handle another tragedy.

He jerked her through the landing on the third floor, only slowing down when he turned two corners. He stumbled to a halt by the room farther down the corridor.

Hermione pressed her hand to the glass wall, her throat closing up and tears stinging in her eyes as she watched doctors and nurses buzzing around the hospital bed. "Oh God," she choked out. "Wh-why?"

* * *

The old mansion settled in the cold, sending creaks and groans down wooden beams and floor slats. Alit candles cast ominous shadows on the stone walls that were bare, devoid of all ornaments. A draft raced through the empty and dusty hallways as though it were being chased.

The silence on the third floor was abruptly broken by the sound of a door crashing into the frame atop the marble staircase, followed by pounding footsteps surging through the chilled corridor. A race against the wind. There was no winning this. There would be no escape for the wicked, especially not from demons. Heavy panting echoed through the manor, throwing the darkness out of proportion. No escape.

As he was grabbed from behind, he let out a frightened scream. He was flung against the wall, which he struck with his elbow and shoulder, both cracking painfully. He slid to the floor, clutching at his arm in agony. He struggled to press his back against the wall, his pale face and dilated pupils facing upwards. Helpless.

Edward knelt on one knee in front of his captive. "Where can I find him?" he murmured quietly.

"I-I don't know," Rodolphus stammered between shaky breaths. The pain was excruciating. He couldn't even think. "I d-don't-"

Edward cut him off by wrapping his fingers around the Dark wizard's fragile neck. He could feel the soft pulse and warmth under his palm. "I don't think you understand," he said. "I want to find your brother."

"Oh God, please," Rodolphus whimpered. He closed his eyes tight. "H-he's somewhere o-out east. I don't know. B-Bulgaria. Please."

Edward tightened his grip instead. "And where will you be?" he asked.

"I-I'll go. I'll go. I won't come back." Rodolphus shook his head vehemently while biting back a groan. "Please, don't hurt me."

"Then you had better leave before I change my mind…"

As soon as he was let go, he scampered up without another word and stumbled down the hall, rushing through the throbbing pain to get away from the monster who would surely plague him for the rest of his life.

* * *

Head Auror Gawain Robards was enjoying a lazy afternoon with his year old granddaughter, bouncing her on his lap and trying to make her laugh, when his wife entered the living room and caught his attention. He tilted his head at her bewildered expression. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"You've got a note from the office," she said.

"Oh? What about?" He got up on his feet, carrying his beaming granddaughter at his hip. He handed her off to his wife and took the note in exchange with a quiet frown. He hadn't been expecting any situations on his day off.

His eyes widened as he read the short message.

"I… Is that… what I think it is?" his wife hesitated.

"I-I need to go," he rushed. He was already on his way to the fireplace. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"It's fine. Go. We're fine here."

"Bye, grampa!"

* * *

Teddy had been in the middle of his afternoon nap when he was rudely awakened by his grandmother. He put up a fuss as she picked him up none too gently and carried him out of his room, down the stairs and out the front door without saying a single word. He whined into her ear, letting her know without many words _exactly_ how he felt about being interrupted from his sleep.

But when he smelt the scent of menthol and sterility, he opened his eyes in fright. He was at St. Mungo's. His stomach clenched and his heart started to speed up its beating. He didn't like hospitals anymore. He didn't want to be here. "Wh-what's happened?" he stuttered while tightening his arms around Andy. "Grammy, what's happened? What's happening?"

"It's alright, love," Andromeda murmured. Her voice was trembling however and it provided little comfort for her grandson.

"S-someone's ill?" he asked frightfully. "Is someone ill?"

"No. Nothing like that."

"I-I don't want to be here. I want to go home." He didn't want to know if someone else had died. He just wanted to go home and sleep. He pressed his face against his grandmother's shoulder and screwed his eyes shut. He didn't want to feel sad all over again. "Please, Grammy… I want to go home…"

* * *

Draco toed off his shoes while flicking the lights on his home. He let out a strangled gasp when he found himself in the presence of company by the stairs in the foyer. He clutched a hand to his heart, the other arm lowering a wand that was pointed at Edward who sat silently on the step, his eyes on the Persian rug adorning the wooden floor. "What are you doing here?" Draco exclaimed.

Edward kept his gaze on the dark red design but every cell in his body wanted him to keep moving. He wanted to hunt. He had never felt such a need before. "That note you gave me… There's a base out east. Do you know where it is?" he asked quietly.

Draco's eyes widened. "Rabastan?" he guessed correctly. "But it's been so long. He… He must be long gone."

"Where is it?"

"Uh, um, Kyustendil province." Draco looked away to speed up his recollection. "Boboshevo. But you won't be able to find it. The headquarters can only be detected by wizards and witches." He glanced back up. "Is this important? I haven't-"

Edward stood up abruptly, clenching his fists and bringing them up to his forehead as he tried to push down his thoughts. "Talk me out of this, Draco," he mumbled. "You need to talk me out of this."

* * *

Harry awoke with a start, jerking his legs as he fell in his dreams. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Then he exhaled carefully. Fresh air… He closed his eyes and inhaled. Sweet, cold, fresh air.

He felt growing heat against his side, which prompted him to open his eyes once more and tilt his head over.

Teddy lay curled up by him, trying to take up as little room as he could while he slept. His face was stuck up close to his godfather's chest and his arms and legs coiled towards his stomach so he looked like a little twitching ball. He had refused to leave Harry's side all day long. No amount of coaxing helped. The nurses finally caved upon seeing his large doe eyes filling up with tears. He had triumphantly crawled in next to Harry, cuddling close to him so that, when he woke up, he wouldn't be alone.

Harry rolled out of bed and tested the floor with his feet, flinching back slightly when the cold seared his warm skin. He didn't fancy a freezing floor. He stood up carefully, waiting for the room to stop spinning and his eyes to focus as best they could without spectacles. Once he had managed to figure out how to walk, he shuffled off to the washroom. His bladder was about to burst.

After he was finished with his business, he turned on the faucet lethargically to wash his hands. He squinted at the reflection in the small mirror. He looked like crap. No dancing about the point. He had deep circles under his eyes, his cheeks were sallow, and every blemish on his skin seemed to stand out against his starkly pale skin. He looked down at his hands, cupping them so he could trap water and wash his face. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes and rinsed out his parched mouth. Something wasn't right but he couldn't put his finger on it. He turned off the taps and wiped his face with his sleeves. It was that feeling he got when he had slept in for much too long – nausea and dizziness. He should get back in bed.

He reached for the bathroom door.

Teddy jumped when he heard loud clatter in his dreams. The first thing he did was to throw his arms to the side, trying to grab onto Harry. Upon finding himself in the empty bed, his heart sank, stomach clenched, and blood ran cold.

The boy fell out of bed in his hurry to get down, landing on his hands and knees with a sharp thud. Ignoring the sting, he scampered to the alit bathroom, quickly followed by the nurses who had burst into the room upon hearing alarms ring at their station.

Harry had fallen on the tiles as his legs gave way. He was hyperventilating by the time help arrived. Teddy froze by the doorway while attendants quickly assessed the situation. A few ran out to get the on-call doctor. One of the nurses had her hands cupped around Harry's face, trying to make him look up. "It's okay. You're safe," she kept saying over and over again. But Harry wasn't listening. He was letting his hysteria take over instead. He shook in her hands as he struggled to breathe, clutching at his chest from the pain.

The Mediwizard wasn't far behind. He saw his staff struggling to calm his patient down and took matters into his own hands. A stunning charm was placed on Harry. He fell faint as soon as the red sparks struck him. He sank into the nurse's arms without a word, asleep and still.

* * *

Ron and Hermione were pacing the length of the room, going in different directions, with their arms crosses against their chest and teeth worrying their lips. Andromeda sat on the chair by the bed. Molly and Arthur stood near the window, speaking quietly amongst themselves. If they glanced down the glass, they could see a horde of reporters and law enforcement officers at the entrance of the hospital. News traveled fast.

The doctor was sweeping his wand over his patient, taking down vitals and conversing with the nurse intermittently when he found the need to. Harry was lying in bed, sedated and silent. Teddy sat close to him, cross-legged on the sheets. He was watching the Mediwizard's wand warily. He didn't want Harry to get hurt again. He just wanted Harry to wake up, that's all.

After one last flick of his wand, the doctor let his wand arm drop to his side. That prompted the adults to turn their attention to him as well. He nodded once at the nurse who walked over to the foot of the bed where she had laid out some potions on the table. She picked up a silver vial and handed it to the doctor.

"A-are you sure it's alright?" Hermione broken in. "Will he… Is it safe?"

The Mediwizard nodded once. "It's a slow stimulant. It should wake him up without overwhelming him." He then proceeded to uncork the vial and tip its contents into Harry's mouth. Teddy watched with growing anticipation. What if Harry got scared again? Would he have to go back to sleep then?

Harry groaned quietly as he returned to his senses. He shifted in bed and frowned before coughing up the foul liquid that was stuck in his throat. The doctor helped him sit up against the pillows so he could swallow more thoroughly. The nurse had a cup of water at hand by then. As soon as Harry had opened his eyes, she thrust the cup at him. He accepted it, gulping down the water gladly to get rid of the bitter taste. It was as though his insides were on fire.

"H-Harry?"

He didn't stop his gulping but he flicked his myopic eyes over at Teddy unconsciously.

The cup tumbled out of his hands and he sprayed water all over the boy.

"Ack!" Teddy scrambled back. "Don't do _that_!"

Harry gaped at him, paying no heed to the water dripping out of his mouth or soaking into the bed sheets.

"Mr. Potter," the Mediwizard said, causing his patient to swivel his head the other way in fright. "You are in St. Mungo's. Do you know where that is?" He handed Harry a small towel he conjured with a wave of his wand.

Harry grabbed the towel and dabbed his mouth with it frantically. "Wh-what's going on?" he croaked.

"Do you know where you are, Mr. Potter?"

"St. Mungo's. You just said-"

"Right. And I am Dr. Bryce," the Mediwizard interrupted. "Now can you tell me if you feel pain in any part of your body?"

Harry blinked rapidly, looking away. "Wait, where's… I was… I-is Draco alright?" he stuttered out.

He was met with silence.

He glanced up at Dr. Bryce. "Do you know if-"

"Draco?" the doctor echoed, knitting his brows together in confusion. "I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with-"

"Malfoy's alright."

Harry turned to Hermione in astonishment. He stared at her for a beat before recognizing her fuzzy shape. "Hermione, you… I'm… Wh-what happened?" He flicked his eyes at Ron who was standing beside her. "You need to tell me what happened."

Teddy decided he had had enough of being ignored. "You're _alive_!" he cheered. "Isn't that great? You're alive!"

"Alive?" Harry mumbled. "Of course I'm… Wait…" His brows shot up. "What do you mean by that? _Of course I'm alive_!" He went back to ogling Teddy. "Who're _you_?"


	37. Chapter 37

While everyone else gasped around him, Teddy simply appeared affronted. "That's not cool. I'm Teddy, remember?" he scowled.

"Teddy…" Harry's jaw dropped. "_Teddy_? _My_ Teddy?" He reached forward to touch the boy's head. It was real. "What the hell?" he exclaimed. He pulled his hand back and struggled to sit up straighter. "_Teddy_! How old are you?"

Teddy held up five fingers. "But you missed my birthday," he added glumly. "So you'll have to come for my next one, okay?"

"No, no, no. You're only _one_! You haven't even turned two!" Harry was frantic as he looked at Andromeda for support. "He hasn't turned two yet, Andy," he blurted out. He dropped his heavy head in his hands as he tried to make sense of things. "Where's Malfoy?" he wanted to know. "He's been hurt. There were four men, armed and disguised. I-I managed to immobilize two of them and then-"

"It's four years after that," Ron said over the ramblings.

Harry shook his head stubbornly. "He was hurt with a-a dagger, I think. He's been hurt. I couldn't make out their faces, but if I see mug shots, maybe I could identify the one with the knife. He stabbed me and…" He paused. "Ah, he stabbed me!" He grabbed at his chest in a panic. He found no blood, of course. He lifted his eyes up to meet Teddy's. "Is that what you meant? Did I nearly die?" he asked in disbelief.

"You aren't making _any_ sense," Teddy sighed. "Besides, you didn't _nearly_ die. You _properly_ died."

"Properly?"

"Yup."

"What do you mean 'properly'?" Harry asked carefully.

"We buried you and everything," Teddy answered with ease. "But that's okay. Edward dug you out when he heard you."

Harry was gape mouthed once again.

Dr. Bryce took the moment to turn his patient his way and examine his pupil dilation. Everything looked normal. There were no signs of a seizure or the like. Other than an elevated blood pressure and a quickened pulse, Harry was physically fine. Unfortunately, he seemed to have lost a few years in his mind. "Could you tell me the last thing you remember?" Dr. Bryce murmured.

"I already told you," Harry replied. "Malfoy and I were assaulted by four men."

"Do you feel a void in your memory, Mr. Potter?"

He shook his head. "I don't even know what that means."

"I see." The doctor looked back at his nurse who was frantically scribbling notes on parchment. "We will prepare you for brain scans later today. If you will excuse me, I need to speak with some colleagues." He hurried out of the room, the nurse following him out without pause.

Harry slumped against the pillows while massaging his aching temple. He had just realized that Molly and Arthur were present in the room as well. He hadn't been able to make them out without his spectacles but as they walked nearer, he recognized them. "Properly dead?" he said under his breath. "Four years?" Molly had enveloped him in a warm hug. He rested his chin on her shoulder and closed his strained eyes. "I'm so confused…"

"Four years ago, Harry, you got hurt," she started explaining. "You sustained severe brain damage from a blow to the head one night. That was the night you were attacked by those men." She touched the side of his head. "You were in a coma for so long. Many months." She let go of him and kissed his forehead lightly. "Then you disappeared. Right from your bed, you were gone. We couldn't find you for nearly two years."

Ron joined his mother, standing behind her so he could continue. "Hermione found you in Forks. That's in the States, remember? You were living with the Cullens for two years. You must remember that," he urged. He was met with a blank look. He clicked his tongue in dismay. "They took you in. You had lost your memory of everything – magic, Hogwarts, home, us… When we found you in Forks, you were living in their home. Hell, you couldn't even remember the war."

"This isn't making any sense to me, Ron. I didn't go anywhere. I've been here all along."

"Oh dear," Hermione murmured.

"You can't forget about the Cullens," Teddy admonished his godfather. He crawled up to him and plopped down on his lap. "You _can't_ forget them. They were nice to us, right? We even met werewolves, remember?"

Harry couldn't. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I just… I don't know what you're talking about."

"When you died," Teddy kept going, "we were all so sad." He looked at everyone for encouragement. Andy managed a weak nod. "See? So sad. But now it's okay. Because you aren't dead. I think that's great."

Harry turned to Hermione for more comprehensive answers. "So you're saying I can't remember anything from the past four years," he asked her for clarification.

"Well… three years, to be precise," she answered. "Rabastan Lestrange found you in Forks last year. He tried to hurt Edward and you were stopping him, but the stress was too much for your body to handle. Your heart stopped beating at the hospital. You died. We buried you last March."

"Rabastan Lestrange?" Harry was so shocked that he didn't even hear that last part. "I'm sorry, did you just say Lestrange?"

"He was the one who attacked Malfoy and you, right?"

He exhaled. "Goodness, that… W-we caught him?"

"No… He disappeared after he attacked you again last year. The Aurors are still trying to get a fix on him."

"I see."

Ron tsked. How was Harry getting sidetracked like this? "You can't remember anything!" he said to bring the conversation back. "That's a problem, Harry!"

"But I _can_ remember everything," Harry argued, albeit a bit weakly. "Just… not the past four years, apparently…"

Hermione was nodding the whole while. "It's strange, isn't it? Four years ago, he couldn't remember anything at all. Now he can't remember the past four years. I wonder…"

"Stop wondering and figure out how to mend him!" Ron wrenched his hair.

Harry was inspecting Teddy intently. "You really are five, huh?" he thought aloud as he flattened the boy's hand over his. "You're so grown up. You'll be going to Hogwarts before you know it." He ducked his head to press a hesitant kiss on Teddy's palm. "You felt sad?"

"Mhm." Teddy nuzzled against him. "I felt sad. So you aren't allowed to die ever again, okay?"

"Okay."

"And, Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Harry turned red abruptly. "Oh."

Teddy laughed as he hugged his godfather tight. "I'm so glad!" he crowed. "Everyone will be so glad!"

The door opened without fanfare and the Head Auror walked in quietly, much to the amazement of everyone present in the room. Harry was most amazed, of course. "Ah, Mr. Robards," he stammered in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Dr. Bryce mentioned something about a statement," Gawain said. He hid his bewilderment wonderfully, holding Harry's gaze without wavering. "I trust you are well, Harry."

"I'm… I think so," Harry replied. "I'm not exactly sure what… I mean, they say I've lost four years…"

"But you do remember what happened with Mr. Malfoy, when you were found hurt, don't you?"

"Yes, of course." Harry proceeded to recount the altercation with as much detail as he could pull out of his muddled mind. He tried not to get distracted by Teddy moving against him or Molly's concerned expression. Even if he was confounded by everything that was happening now, at least he could recall the events of that night. He told Gawain all he could about Draco's intention to defect from the Dark Army and the motive behind that resolution. "Hermione tells me it was Lestrange, sir," he added.

"Rabastan Lestrange, yes."

"You haven't been able to find him yet?"

Gawain looked frustrated when he said, "No." He slid his hands into his pockets while shifting his weight. "You see, we did not realize that Lestrange was the culprit until recently. We were operating under the assumption that Mr. Malfoy was the one who had attacked you."

Harry didn't believe him at first. However Gawain made no attempt to correct himself, which caused the younger wizard to blurt out, "You _what_? He was hurt! He was-"

"He was not at the scene when you were found. And witnesses placed him there. We did not even entertain the assumption that he was a victim as well."

"But then where is he?"

"Like I said, we did not realize that he was the victim until recently. He is working with us now."

Harry was taken aback. "He's what?"

Gawain allowed himself a dry smile. "Yes. Hard to believe, isn't it?" he acknowledged. "He has been cooperating with us, helping us dismantle the Dark Army. His family had extensive contacts. And now that we have your statement that fits with his, I can only imagine how relieved he is going to be."

"Wow…"

"Well." The Head Auror tipped his head down. "I best be off, Harry. The team will be thrilled to hear of your recovery. And perhaps we can expect you to come down to the station in the near future, hmm?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Gawain said his goodbyes and strolled out of the room.

Harry turned his astounded expression towards Hermione and Ron. "Malfoy's working _with_ us now? I never thought he would agree to something like that."

"Like we said, it's been so long since then. He got tired of hiding."

"Mhm." He absently teased Teddy's fingers between his. "So… If I was dead, how am I alive now?" he wondered.

"We're just as confused as you are," Arthur mumbled.

Hermione shrugged. "The doctors will want to run more tests. They wanted to wait until you were conscious." She sat on the edge of the bed and rested a hand over Harry's arm, reassuring herself that this wasn't a dream. "You really gave us all a scare with what you did. You were using wandless magic, trying to stop Lestrange from taking Edward. You used too much energy. You need to learn to control it. Otherwise you are only going to keep hurting yourself."

"Wandless…"

"You never told us you could do that."

Harry had the presence to appear sheepish. "Ah, I… I didn't think it was a big deal," he tried to explain. "I mean, I… I can't really do much with it. Just a bit of levitation and blocking."

"You cast a full blown shield," Ron emphasized. "That's not just a _bit_ of wandless magic."

Harry hadn't been expecting to hear that. "A full blown shield?" he repeated. That wasn't possible. "No, I can't do _that_. I've never done _that_ before."

"Well, you did," Hermione maintained. "And you died doing it."

"That has got to be the stupidest thing you could have done too," Ron stated heatedly.

Harry couldn't remember it, so how was he supposed to respond to his best friend's jibe? He looked down at Teddy instead. "_You_ aren't mad at me, are you?" he murmured.

"Nope," Teddy beamed.

There was a quiet knock on the door and the nurse poked her head inside. "Ms. Granger? Could I have a word?" she asked Hermione. The young lady nodded as she got up to her feet. She needed some air in any case. She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Her heart sank when she realized why the nurse had called for her.

The Cullens had just arrived.

Carlisle and Esme were standing by the door, hand-in-hand. Rosalie and Emmett stood behind them, waiting eagerly. Jasper and Alice were leaning against the opposite wall so as not to block the corridor. They had been talking quietly amongst themselves. And Edward sat in a chair by the room with his arms crossed tightly against his stomach, staring straight ahead at his clairvoyant sister.

"How is he?" Carlisle asked as soon as Hermione looked at him. "Is he allowed visitors?"

"Ah, yes," she faltered. "B-but there's… He's… He's lost his memory again."

The coven stilled upon hearing the news.

She went on to say, "He remembers everything up until four years ago, when he was attacked by Lestrange here. You know, before he went into his coma? He thinks it's the day after."

"Oh no," Esme exhaled. Rosalie flicked her frightened eyes at her husband. He wrapped an arm around her. Jasper watched Alice carefully, noting her far-off expression. Edward closed his eyes.

"But he is very coherent," Hermione added for their sake. "It's okay for you to go in and see him. We've already talked to him about this. He knows that he has forgotten."

"But he does not remember us," Carlisle mumbled. Hermione didn't want to say it out loud. Her silence was a good enough response.

Edward unfolded his limbs and stood up. "I have to see him."

"Of course. All of you, come on in." Hermione opened the door and entered the hospital room once again. Everyone was where she had left them. "You've got more visitors, Harry," she announced.

Harry had to crane his neck to look around Molly, Ron, and Arthur.

Teddy gasped excitedly when he caught sight of who had arrived. He scrambled off of his godfather's lap and struggled to his feet so that he could stand on the mattress with his fists at his hips. "Look who's here!" he hollered. He pointed a finger at Harry. "Look!"

Edward felt like he could breathe again…

Teddy jumped off the bed with wild abandon and ran forward to grab Edward by the hand. "Come on!" He grunted and heaved as he pulled the vampire forward. "Harry's right here! Don't look so sad, Edward! Look happy now! See? I'm looking happy now!"

Ron and his parents stepped away from the bed, letting the Cullens through. They examined Harry nervously. Teddy didn't stop until he was able to get back up on the bed. Then he let go of Edward and clambered onto Harry's lap once again. "Look who's here, Harry," he sang. "Aren't you happy too?"

Harry stared up at Edward for the longest while, eyes scrunched up slightly so he could see more clearly.

"Sit down," Teddy ordered the vampire.

Edward complied, sitting awkwardly on the edge of the bed. He was so close to Harry. Close enough to hear him, see him, touch him… This had to be heaven. Feeling that familiar warmth, listening to those muffled thoughts, watching emerald irises flit so quickly… He must have died as well.

Harry breathed out noisily and squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Wait a second," he mumbled. "You lot buried me alive…"

Everyone exchanged bewildered looks except for Teddy and Edward.

Harry was frowning by then. "I was locked _inside_ _a coffin_," he continued deliberately, "and buried_ six feet deep_ for Merlin knows how long and now you come in here… WITH A _STUPID_ SMILE ON YOUR FACE? YOU POOPHEAD! I SAVED YOUR _STUPID, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING LIFE _AND YOU _BURIED_ ME _ALIVE_? I NEARLY DIED DOWN THERE, YOU IDIOT! I OUGHT TO-"

Teddy slapped his hands over Harry's mouth, muffling the rest of his words. "No shouting," he scolded sternly. "We're in a hospital, so you have to be _very_ quiet."

Harry let out an angry puff of air and glared at his godson. Then he stuck his tongue out, licking Teddy's palm.

"Ew!" Teddy pulled his hands back, furiously wiping them on the bed sheets. "Gross."

Edward's smile widened. He had missed all the yelling too. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

Harry sputtered. "_Sorry_? SORRY? DON'T YOU SORRY ME, EDWARD! WHERE'S MY BLOODY WAND?" He started sweeping his arms under the sheets and by the pillows. "I'M HEXING YOUR _STUPID_ FACE OFF!"

"Don't do _that_." Teddy was getting very concerned. "He _needs_ his face."


	38. Chapter 38

"Harry, you need to calm down," Ron said shakily as his lips trembled from his ecstatic grin. He gently pushed Harry back against the pillows and pressed his arms to his sides, stopping him from hunting for his elusive wand. "You remember Edward, don't you?"

Harry pushed the heels of his palms into his scrunched up eyes. "My head hurts," he muttered.

"I'll get the doctor, okay? Just keep talking to us." Ron rushed out of the room to get Dr. Bryce.

Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses. "Here," he said quietly, holding it out in front of Harry.

Harry cracked his eyes open. "Ah." He snatched the spectacles from Edward's hand and jammed it against his nose, blinking rapidly so his vision could normalize. The pulsing behind his eyes ebbed away. "You buried me alive," he insisted in a much calmer tone. "Why would you do that?"

"Not alive," Carlisle answered. "You weren't alive when we buried you, Harry."

The Mediwizard strode in with Ron at his heels, interrupting the conversation. "Mr. Potter, I believe it is time for your tests now."

He was whisked away moments later by two nurses with no promise of a safe return. He hardly had a chance to say another word. The room was suddenly devoid of activity despite the number of visitors present. Teddy had sidled up to Alice, talking to her quietly about the night before, when Harry had first woken up. Esme and Carlisle were speaking with Hermione and Ron, trying to speculate on what Harry's current state could be.

Edward, in the meantime, was recalling his day at the cemetery. It felt like a lifetime ago.

"You heard him down there?" Molly asked him hesitantly. He nodded. "His thoughts, you mean?" she wanted to clarify. He nodded again. "When you got him out, was he… alright?"

Edward looked down at his hands. He had dug Harry out with them. "He was panicking. Incoherent."

"But he's getting better now," Arthur reminded everyone who was listening. "It doesn't matter because he's okay now."

"He honestly didn't remember us?" Emmett asked Hermione.

"Honestly," she insisted. "He said he didn't remember anything past the attack four years ago. When he saw Teddy, he was shocked. He didn't know that it was Lestrange who attacked him until we told him. We thought he had forgotten you. I guess he just needed something to jolt his memory…"

Edward snapped out of his reverie when Teddy skipped over. The boy rested against Edward's knees with familiarity. "Aren't you so happy?" he asked. He wanted to make sure everyone was happy. He wanted Edward to be the happiest.

Edward bent down to knock foreheads with Teddy. "I am," he answered. "Aren't you so happy?" he asked in turn.

"So, so, _so_ happy!" Teddy beamed. "When Harry comes home, I can't _wait_ to read to him. I bet he's going to be so surprised. But we have to let him rest, okay? Grammy says he needs to get his rest before he can play with us. So," he pressed a finger to his lips, "we need to be _very_ quiet," he whispered. "He needs to be quiet too. If he starts shouting again, you have to stop him. Okay, Edward?"

"But he was shouting _at_ me," Edward noted. "I doubt he would listen to me if I'm the one he is angry at."

"He can't be angry with you," Teddy said flippantly. "I'll make sure he isn't angry with you. He was just so surprised to see you, that's all. He wouldn't have _really_ hexed your face off. He just says things like that. He didn't mean it. He isn't angry, okay?"

"Okay."

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Edward chuckled fondly. "I love you too," he said. "But you already know that."

"Yup. I already know that."

By the time Harry was brought back into the room, it was past noon. Molly and Arthur had gone to share the exciting news with their children. Hermione had to run off to work for a couple of meetings. Ron had managed to cajole Teddy into grabbing some lunch in the cafeteria downstairs with Andromeda. The Cullens hadn't even moved into their hotel rooms, so they went to manage that and settle in. The only one left behind was Edward. He had nowhere else to be.

He was sitting on the couch, hands folded on his lap and legs crossed neatly when the nurse wheeled Harry through the doorway. "You can manage from here, can't you?" she asked her patient.

"Yes." Harry got up a bit unsteadily and perched on the edge of the bed. "I'm fine."

"I'll be back in just a minute with your food, okay?" She scurried out of there while flattening her cream robe and combing back her frazzled hair.

Harry glanced at Edward without saying another word. It was the first time there was silence in the room. It was also the first time they had been alone. Edward held his gaze. Reality had yet to kick in. Every instance that proved Harry's existence was wondrous for him - each movement, sound, and scent. Merely looking at him was a remarkable thing. For now he was fine with just looking...

Once Harry seemed to realize that he had been staring, he quickly snapped out of it and his ears reddened. "Loo," he mumbled as he got up off the bed. He shuffled to the bathroom while stretching his aching back and neck. All this tension was leaving him in knots. He would have to remember to-

He whipped around without warning and stuck his arm straight out.

Edward jerked to a halt, Harry's palm digging into his chest, stopping him from advancing.

They blinked at each other breathlessly.

Harry lowered his arm.

Edward's hand blurred towards his face. He flinched and brought his forearm up to counter it. Edward stilled just before he could knock against Harry. He swung his other hand in a wide arc a split second later. The motion was stopped as well when Harry caught him by the wrist. He stepped in and twisted his hands out of Harry's grip with ease before trying again, his arms just a blur as they swept upwards. Harry deflected, just like before. Edward tilted his head in wonder. That was the quickest he had seen Harry move. "How are you doing that?" he murmured. He slipped away from his restraints one more time, pushing faster than earlier so his hands seemed to vanish in thin air. Harry couldn't possibly stop this. He was jerked against the door with his wrists pinned to either side of his head. Edward pressed into him, trapping him. "How did you do that?" he whispered, his nose brushing against the side of Harry's cheek.

Harry closed his eyes and turned his head away, unable to stop the corners of his lips from tilting upwards.

Edward kissed him helplessly, sliding his hands up so their fingers knitted together. "You…" he exhaled. "I love you…" He drowned in Harry's mind. Wonderful and strange Harry. He moved their hands up and over behind his head. Harry caught on, winding his arms around Edward's neck without further prompt. Edward picked him up by the hips and carried him to bed before lowering him onto the mattress. He eagerly wrapped his legs around Edward, who laughed into the kiss before he could catch himself. Harry was caressing the nape of his neck, twisting his fingers against his hair, driving him mad with his thoughts. It was too loud. So happy. Alive. He felt so alive. He swept his tongue across Harry's lips. Their mouths melded together effortlessly. The warm touch thrilled him.

It was easy to get lost in their mind.

Even though this wasn't _his_ Harry.

"Do you remember me?"

Harry opened his eyes incredulously. "What?"

Edward bore down on him, holding him fast on the bed. "Who are you?" he asked.

Harry jerked his arms down to his chest, collapsing Edward's elbows and jerking him off balance. He brought his right foot to Edward's left knee, making it slide against the sheets, and threw his left shoulder forward, catching Edward's chest. Using his legs for momentum, he swung his hips up and around, flipping Edward onto his back and causing the bed to groan in dismay. He held Edward down by the wrists, straddling him. He was panting by the end of it but a triumphant smirk had pasted itself on his face. "I win."

The door to the room swung open to reveal a nurse who appeared startled when she saw the position her patient was in. "Mr. Potter!" she admonished. "What in heaven's name are you doing?"

"Nothing," Harry was quick to respond as he struggled off of Edward while blushing. "Sorry."

"Get back in bed!"

"Okay." He did as he was told while Edward sat up, bewildered.

The nurse tsked and shook her head in disappointment. "Like children," she muttered under her breath. She walked over to the bedside and set the tray of food down before turning to the vampire. "Mr. Collins, was it?" she asked.

"Cullen. Just Edward will do," he answered.

"Edward, Harry needs his rest. If you will excuse him…"

"Ah, I see."

"You may come back in a couple of hours." She pursed her lips at her patient. "_If_ he behaves."

"I'll behave," Harry answered, wide-eyed.

Edward was ushered out before he could recover. The door closed in his face, leaving him in the empty corridor.

* * *

Gawain Robards shook his head in disbelief. His subordinates crowded around him eagerly, unable to believe their eyes. "What do you think of that, sir?" Bernie rushed. "Isn't that something else?"

It most certainly was something else. Finding Rabastan Lestrange in _London_ in possession of a _poisoned dagger_ that matched wounds from several unsolved cases was definitely something else. What was more, seeing him laid out unconscious on a bench in the Ministry Park was even more confounded.

"You know… I thought he was in Bulgaria," Mulley said under his breath.

"So did I," the Head Auror murmured.

* * *

Ginny was actually throttling Harry and no one tried to stop her even though he was clearly terrified of her mad expression.

* * *

"Make sure you give Edward a hard time," Alice muttered. "He wouldn't even have noticed if it weren't for _me_."

"You know what you should do, Harry?" Emmett cut in. "Get into more trouble. You can't die, man. That means you can do whatever the heck you want!"

"That is definitely not what he should be doing," Esme tsked.

* * *

"Eat, eat," Molly gushed as she spooned out more cooked vegetables and mashed potatoes onto the plate. "You're as skinny as a beanpole."

"Mum, he looks like he's about to burst," George drawled. "He already had lunch."

"He needs meat on his bones. Just look at him. He hasn't had anything to eat in a year, poor child."

* * *

"The wedding's in September and almost everything is ready. It's going to be perfect now that you're here. We're got to get you a suit and you need to help Ron with his vows and everything, okay?" Hermione chattered on happily.

"I need all the help I can get," Ron sighed. "I'm hopeless with things like this."

"Ginny's the maid of honor," she continued. "And we'll just bump George down to a groomsman. He won't make a fuss. You'll be best man. That means you have to speak at the reception. You have to make sure Ron keeps his head."

* * *

Draco gaped at the sight of his dazed uncle sitting in restraints in the interrogation room. "Wh-what… H-how did you…" He trailed off.

"Do you know anything about this, Mr. Malfoy?" Gawain wanted to know.

"I thought you didn't have jurisdiction outside England…"

"We don't. Someone managed to get him here at our doorsteps. Quite literally." Gawain looked down at the paperwork on the clipboard. "I require your signature implicating him in assault with intent to kill concerning both yourself and Mr. Potter… who is being very cooperative."

Draco exhaled shakily. "It's over?"

* * *

Charlie thumped Harry's back. "You… You're something else, you know that?" he muttered. "Your wandless magic is so strong. Stronger than I knew. It's incredible, Harry. Only a handful of people can do what you did. And I think you're the _only_ one who has ever come back from the dead." He shook his head in disbelief. "You scared the shit out of me."

* * *

Finally, the Weasleys said their goodbyes for the night and went home, taking Teddy with them. The Cullens also left shortly afterwards. Harry finally had a chance to read the Daily Prophet article everyone was talking about. He quickly unfolded the paper, laid it on his lap and started scanning through the words on the front page.

A wet projectile hit him square in the cheek, making him yelp in fright and whip his head to the right where Edward sat on the couch, hand in a bag of grapes Molly had brought in. He rubbed the water from his cheek while frowning. Edward plucked another grape from the stem and lobbed it. Harry caught this one in his hand, which meant he wasn't ready for another one to hit his forehead a second later. "Hey," he whined. "What?" He dropped the grape in his hand and grabbed the next one before it could land in his hair. "Stop it." Before long, he had to use both hands to fend off the projectiles that came in groups. He was swatting grapes left, right and centre.

Edward watched his precise motions. He moved with smooth ease and rapidly as well. Even as he moved one hand, his eyes gravitated towards the other grape in preparation.

The assault ended abruptly.

Harry peeked out from behind his hands at Edward. "What are you doing?" he hesitated.

The door opened. The nurse took one look at the mess in the room and her expression hardened. "Mr. Potter!" she hissed.

"It wasn't me!" Harry exclaimed. "_He_ did it!" He pointed an accusatory finger at the culprit.

"Now, now, Harry," Edward responded mildly as he stood up. "You mustn't tell lies." He strolled out of the room while hiding his guilty, purple-stained hands inside his pockets. "Goodnight." The door fell shut behind him, muting the stern dressing down the nurse was giving her patient.

* * *

**A/N:** Holy cow, thanks for all the reviews! I've got over 400! I'm so glad you've enjoyed the past few chapter. I know it was quite angst-ridden. But I hope to rectify that. Explanations will be given in the next chapter (hopefully). We'll see how Harry is _really_ doing after that.


	39. Chapter 39

Draco opened the door, not the least bit surprised when he saw who had knocked. He simply smiled as he stepped aside to let Edward in. "I was expecting you," he murmured. "How is he?"

Edward nodded absently. He walked through the dim foyer that opened into the drawing room.

Draco arched a brow in confusion before following the vampire. "You brought Rabastan here, didn't you?" he prodded further. He sat opposite Edward who had perched down on the hard armchair by the unlit fireplace. "Robards suspects it. Is there any way he will find evidence against you?"

"No."

"Okay, good. He doesn't want to." Draco watched him for a second, waiting for him for say something more. When he didn't, the wizard looked down at the bottle of beer he had just opened for himself. He had been having a bit of a celebration. He figured he couldn't offer Edward one in any case. He wiped the condensation off of his fingers on his jeans. The day had been extremely eventful. He had never seen the Aurors look so thrilled. They were happy to have caught the man who hurt one of their own. He wondered what would happen next.

"Draco…"

He flicked his eyes up.

"I'm sorry," Edward said quietly.

Draco tilted his head. "What for?" he wanted to know.

"For not killing him."

"Ah."

Edward glanced away while sitting back tiredly, resting his elbow on the armrest and a hand against his cheek. "I… I thought I could," he mumbled. He was looking off into the distance, as though seeing the events in his mind's eye. "I thought I could do at least that much, but I couldn't. Harry wouldn't have wanted me to do it. But it should have been so easy after what he…" He stopped himself.

"Did you ask Potter?"

He frowned and focused on the question. "Ask him?"

Draco sipped on the cold drink before repeating himself. "Did you ask Potter what he would want you to do?"

"No, I… Of course not."

"Then how would you know?"

"I don't understand."

"How would you know that he wouldn't have wanted you to kill Rabastan?" Draco clarified.

Edward shook his head. "Harry would never let me kill a person, no matter what the cause," he said with certainty. "No matter what."

Draco smirked. "You should ask him tomorrow, hmm?" he suggested. "If he had been in your place, would he have killed for you? Ask him."

Edward allowed himself a faint smile. "Why don't _you_ ask him?"

Draco's smirk faltered.

"No?"

"I… doubt he would want to see me."

"Did you ask him?"

Draco clicked his tongue irritably. "Don't turn this on me," he muttered. He gulped down a mouthful so he wouldn't have to talk.

Edward conceded without further argument. He didn't realize how long it had been since he had been this relaxed. Feeling this calm in his head was different. He sighed. It felt so freeing to be able to do that without the weight against his chest. "First thing he did was ask about you."

Draco stilled.

"He asked about that night you got hurt," Edward continued. "He wanted to make sure you were okay. He didn't realize that it's been four years since. He talked to the Aurors, told them what had happened that day. I don't think he's realized that he had helped you escape. His mind is still muddled. I can't discern his thoughts." He closed his eyes. "He's changed… But he's still the same. How is that possible?"

"He's remembered everything?" Draco asked.

"Yes." Edward smiled once again. "He's even remembered his training. Took me by surprise. Then again… he's always taken me by surprise."

* * *

"He is the master of all three Hallows," Hermione explained to the Cullens who were seated in a private waiting area in St. Mungo's. Harry had been sent off for more tests, so she had chosen that moment to explain as best she could. "The Resurrection Stone, Elder Wand, and Invisibility Cloak. Folklore says the one who has mastered the Hallows is the Master of Death. In tales, he can evade Death until he is ready to move on past life. But there have been no documented evidence of this happening because, as far as we can tell from written history, no man has ever acquired all of the Hallows at the same time. It is not immortality in the strictest sense, I suppose." She folded her arms against her chest as she pondered Harry's existence. "Longevity, perhaps? Aging… We can't be sure of that until test results come in. At any rate, he seems to have the ability to resurrect himself after dying." She smiled dryly. "Turns out he could be one of the most powerful wizards yet."

As soon as Harry had returned to his room, a casserole full of lasagna awaited him, courtesy of Molly. She had somehow managed to twist the hospital staff's arm into letting him eat it despite his strict diet. He was awfully glad for her when he opened the container. He didn't even bother getting a plate out. He took the whole casserole dish to bed with his fork and knife so he could indulge himself in the spicy tomato sauce and melted cheese while studiously ignoring Edward who was watching the whole spectacle from his usual spot on the couch. The nurse was so used to seeing the vampire there that she couldn't be bothered to kick him out. Harry didn't show his irritation at all. He decided to just turn a blind eye. He unfolded the Prophet on the bed and started eating his lunch with gusto. Molly always added the little things to make her dishes work. It smelled incredible.

Edward got up from his seat and walked over to the bed so he could sit near Harry. "I'm sorry for getting you into trouble," he murmured quietly. Harry pretended not to hear him. There was silence in the room once again. Edward had yet to get used to that. Before, there was rarely a quiet moment when it came to being in the same room as Harry. There was always endless conversation and questions. Now, Harry seemed very accustomed to silence. He didn't have any questions to ask. He remembered everything. His curiosity had been quelled. Edward wasn't sure how he felt about that just yet. "I'm angry with you," he said.

Harry looked up sharply while pursing his lips and gritting his teeth.

Edward nodded to strengthen his words. "Do you have any idea what I've been going through over the past year?" he asked. "What you had put Teddy through? Do you?"

"That's my fault?" Harry snapped. His nostrils flared as he breathed in. "Trying to help you is-"

"Your fault, yes," Edward answered. "It _is_ your fault. Don't ever do that for me, Harry. I would never ask you to die for me. Please understand that."

Harry glared at the newspaper in an attempt to set it on fire. He was never speaking with Edward again.

Edward leaned in and pressed his lips to Harry's ear. "I felt like dying with you," he whispered. "If it hadn't been for my family and Teddy, I-"

Harry turned his head away, stopping the rest of those words. "Don't," he muttered. "I don't want to hear that." He clenched his fist. "I told you… I told you I would die. I told you to be alright with it. You knew what-"

"How could you have expected me to be alright with it?" Edward wanted to know. "Isn't that an ignorant thing to ask of me?"

"People die," Harry argued. "Everyday, Edward. Every single day, someone dies. I _know_. I know what it is like. I know how to keep going."

"I wanted years with you," Edward tried to explain. "Not just months. I wanted a lifetime with you. And when you left me, I felt abandoned. Truly. I need you."

"I know."

"Don't ever leave me again."

Harry sighed despondently as he started realizing that nothing he said would make Edward feel better. "I won't," he murmured before returning to his food. He cut up another piece of lasagna and speared it as best he could with his fork. But he paused with his mouth open, sauce dripping down into the dish slowly. "Want some?" he offered Edward. He held the pasta out.

"Hmm." Edward closed his lips around the food and slid it off the prongs with his tongue.

"How is it?"

"Just… nauseating."

"Too bad."

"Would you have killed him?"

Harry blinked once.

Edward rested his hand against Harry's chest, against the rising and dropping ribs. So warm. His fingers lingered on the raised scar he could feel through fabric. "Would you have killed him if I was the one who had died?"

"Of course…"

Such a simple answer.

Edward captured Harry's lips, apologizing through the gesture. The taste of tomatoes and garlic lingered in the kiss. Why hadn't he killed Rabastan? It was because he was afraid that once he killed, he wouldn't be able to stop. He was afraid that killing might fill the void left by Harry. He wanted to be a good man. Harry had told him that his past didn't define him. What he did in the present and future mattered. He couldn't bear to think of disappointing the person he loved most in the world. Had he been wrong in thinking this? Was Harry truly willing to kill for him?

"I guess I just love you more than you love me."

Edward laughed breathlessly into the kiss. "I guess so," he murmured.

"Idiot."

He closed his eyes, feeling euphoria well up in him. Harry was perfect, no matter what.

* * *

Leah answered the phone with a bored, "Hello…"

"Is Seth around?"

She frowned slightly. "Not right now." Why did the voice sound eerily familiar? "Who's this? Do you have a message?"

"Well… I really just wanted to talk to Seth. It's Harry Potter."

She paused. Harry Potter. Harry was dead. "You're dead."

"Yeah… Actually, no. Weird, huh? When should I call back?"

He didn't have to. Seth had just walked in with damp, seawater hair and sandy feet. Leah stared at him for a beat before jerking her arm out and handing the phone to him. "Eh?" he frowned. He didn't like talking on phones. "Who is it?" he asked his sister.

"Says he's Harry."

Seth's jaw dropped. "Harry?" He stuck the phone close to his ear. "Who is this?"

"Hey, Seth. It's Harry."

"Uh… Uh… Um… Uh… What?"

"I just… want you to know that I'm alright. I'm… um… I might be immortal like you. And… I wanted to thank you for talking to Edward. He told me what you said. I'm glad you listened to him."

"Harry?"

"I know. Freaky, right?"

"B-but you're dead. Everyone thinks you're dead! Why aren't you dead? WHAT'S GOING ON?"

"Everyone thought I was dead over here too," Harry rushed. "Edward had to dig me out. Look, it's all very confusing and I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around this, so I'm not doing a very good job at exp-"

"Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. You were dead. They buried you, man. That's messed up. Shit. A-are you okay now? What's going to happen now? What should I do?" Seth was rambling hysterically.

"Nothing, nothing," Harry assured him. "I just wanted to call you. I wanted to let you know."

"B-but what about your friends? Bella thinks you're dead. Everyone here thinks you're dead!"

"I don't know… I don't know what to tell them. I haven't called anyone else," Harry confessed. "They don't know about my magic."

"My pack's gonna find out. Once I phase, they're gonna know, Harry."

"It's okay if they know." He hesitated for a moment. "I mean, _I_ can't tell anyone about my magic. There's this secrecy thing. Lots of legal stuff. But I can tell _you_ about mebecause you're considered to be a magical creature too. I guess because _you_ don't have any secrecy thing or legal stuff going on, I don't really care if you tell."

"Oh."

"Do you know what I'm getting at?"

"Um, I think so."

"Just talk to Bella. She'll figure it out."

"O-okay."

"Aren't you glad I'm alive?"

Seth laughed helplessly.


	40. Chapter 40

Harry opened the door to 12 Grimmauld Place. It creaked from years of disuse and he walked right into a spider web. "Ugh!" he sputtered, swatting at it wildly and spitting everywhere to get it out of his mouth. He felt around his pockets for his wand, finding it quickly and flicking it towards the foyer to cut through the rest of the webs. He was sure he heard scuttling. "Man," he muttered in defeat. He had a lot of spring-cleaning to do.

He wondered if he could rope Hermione into doing it for him…

"Hardly homey, is it?" Alice quipped cheerily while pushing past Harry and disappearing into the dusty and dark hallway. Jasper was quick to follow his wife lest she fall into some hidden hole in this dump.

"It's not _my_ fault," Harry called after her. He then stepped aside to let the rest of the Cullens through. "Make yourself comfortable."

It wasn't long before their luggage crowded in the foyer. It also wasn't long before angry screams echoed through the living room.

"For _Merlin's_ sake!" he exclaimed as he ran through towards the shrieking painting of Walburga Black. Alice was hiding behind Jasper, peeking out over his shoulder, while the portrait of the old woman spewed insults after insults at the vampires. Harry rushed in and struggled a bit with the heavy, purple moth-eaten curtains before being able to slide it over the painting, hiding it and silencing it. The house was suddenly eerie.

Alice smiled sheepishly. "Sorry…"

"Don't touch _anything_," Harry told her off. "I mean it."

"Who is that?" Jasper asked in disbelief.

"My godfather's mother," he explained. "We can't get her painting off the wall. I've tried _everything_. Believe me. He tried everything too. She has a very poor disposition."

"Incredible…"

"Not really." His attention slipped when the rest of the Cullens walked into the living room looking astonished. "Everything under control," he announced. "Nothing to see. I'll show you guys to your rooms."

It took about half an hour for everyone to get settled in. Until the Cullens' new residence was furnished and made up, Harry had insisted that they stay at his place. It was certainly big enough. Unfortunately, he hadn't realized how awfully dusty it had gotten. He tried to whisk away the cobwebs and dust bunnies when he could with his wand. But the smell of musty clothes and rotted wood lingered. He didn't want to know where those smells came from just yet. He wanted to settle down first. He emptied his bag of potions onto his bed. It was still unmade, which was a bit disorienting. He hadn't been in this room in about four years…

He glanced behind him when he heard the door open. Edward stood by, silently examining him. "What?" he asked. "Don't like your room?"

The vampire looked off into a corner deliberately, pretending to think about it. Harry narrowed his eyes as he waited. After a short moment, Edward looked back at him and said, "No."

"Well, too bad."

He pushed off the doorjamb and strolled in, crossing his arms against his chest. He looked around the room inquisitively. He had always wanted to see Harry's old room. The walls had faded posters of Quidditch teams and a few mismatched frames with photographs in them. The dresser and desk was messy with clothes, rolled up parchments, books, and random knickknacks. Edward realized that it wasn't much different from what Harry's room had looked like back in Forks. "I like this room," he added.

"So?" Harry snapped abruptly.

Edward glanced at him in amusement. "I'm just telling you," he said. "I like this room."

"You can't stay in here."

"Why not?"

"Because it's my room."

"So?"

"It's _my_ room."

"I thought we were going to live together."

Harry snapped his mouth shut and started biting his lip angrily while glaring at Edward's innocent expression. "That's not fair," he finally grumbled.

Edward approached him. "Don't you want to live with me anymore?" he pressed on. Harry looked away and tried to busy himself by putting his potions in order on the grey bed sheets. Edward wasn't deterred. He could read the young man's mind after all. He stopped behind Harry, watching him work diligently. "I don't mind if you want to rethink your offer," he said.

Harry clicked his tongue. "Stop talking to me like I'm a child," he muttered under his breath.

Edward wasn't about to go down without a fight. "Aren't you the one treating _me_ like a child?" he retorted.

Harry turned around irritably. "We have to get a few things straight," he demanded. "This is _my_ house. So if I want my own room, I'll _get_ my own room. And you have to understand that back at Forks, I wasn't myself. I said and did things that were immature and downright embarrassing. I don't appreciate you not stopping me from saying some things. Also, I _saved_ your life. _Twice_. It's a good thing I have feelings for you. Otherwise I'd just kick y-" He was kissed into shutting up. He let out an exasperated groan before arching his back and sinking into it. He was forced backwards against the bed. He sat down unceremoniously, craning his neck to keep the kiss intact. He swept a hand over the vials on the bed, making them fall to the carpeted floor. It rolled under the bed frame, out of harm's way. Edward lifted a leg and rested his knee on the mattress. He urged Harry to scoot up. It wasn't long they were against the headboard, huddled by the pillows. Harry had to turn his head away to breathe after a few moments. "What's the rush?" he panted.

Edward nearly laughed. What's the rush? He had been wanting to hold Harry for countless days… His fingers caught the hem of Harry's shirt and started to pull it up.

"Wait." Harry latched onto Edward's hand and pushed it away. "I'm not up for it right now." He wiped his mouth and tried to straighten his hair and clothes.

"Not up for it?" Edward echoed in confusion. "Since when?"

"I don't know. How about since I haven't had a shower in Merlin knows how long?"

"Oh."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're really oblivious, you know that?"

Edward took offense to that. "Only in matters concerning you," he countered.

"Yes, yes. Only in matters concerning me."

"Now you're just being patronizing."

Harry feigned a sweet smile. "Then how about you leave me alone for one blasted minute, Edward?" he asked brightly.

That was answered with another fierce kiss that knocked the back of his head against the headboard. He whined incoherently. He didn't particularly like being in this situation. He struggled in vain; he was easily overpowered by the strength of a vampire.

The kiss lasted for just a breath though.

He struggled to get that breath back while sputtering in shock.

"How long will one blasted minute be?" Edward wanted to know as he got up off the bed and brushed his shirt down with deliberate nonchalance.

A flying pillow was all the response he got.

That evening, the Burrow was bustling with festivities and people. The garden was all set up with tables and plenty of beverages. The guest of honor was caught between groups of well-wisher throughout the course of the night. Harry spoke with coworkers, classmates, and family. He was hugged, cried on, and applauded. Teddy showed him off at least a dozen times to different people. Many promises of visits were made by both parties. There were no reporters in sight, but there was no doubt that many articles would be written about Harry Potter in the coming months. For now he could enjoy the company of the near and dear. The Cullens were received warmly as well. They had been through so much, after all. The family graciously accepted all the thanks given to them.

Luna nudged Harry's ribs. "Edward is quite handsome," she thought he should know.

He glared at her. "So?"

"I'm surprised he is into you."

Edward couldn't help but flick his eyes over to the buffet table where he had heard the quip. His eyes crinkled for a second before smoothing out. He looked away indifferently after.

Harry glowered at the back of his head. "He's not _that_ handsome."

"He is," Luna said sagely. "I assure you."

"What are you getting at anyway? What's wrong with me? I'm not that bad to look at."

"Oh no. Definitely not, Harry. In fact, I find you very pleasant on the eyes."

"Thanks."

Esme and Carlisle were over the moon that evening. Watching their children interact with such ease was always a triumphant scene. However, seeing Edward with a genuine smile and hearing his happy conversation was another small victory. Over the past year, he had been so distant and introspective. Whenever they spoke on the phone, the couple had been left feeling frustrated that they couldn't do more to help their son. They now realized that, before Harry had ever arrived at Forks, Edward had always been that way – in his own quiet world. But when he was with Harry, he became someone fuller, someone who laughed more often.

"I am so glad I get to meet your friends, Harry," Carlisle said sincerely. "It gives me a whole new perspective on your life."

Harry gave him an awkward shrug. "They… um… like to exaggerate," he murmured. "Don't believe everything they say, okay?"

"Even a fraction of what they say about you is fascinating, I assure you."

He looked over at his old classmates gathered by the porch, exchanging stories over cold bottles of Butterbeer. They were certainly one of a kind, sticking with him through thick and thin. Mental. George and Ron were reenacting some sort of a Quidditch scene much to the amusement of some young children. Ginny and Luna kept interjecting to clarify certain plot points while Hermione and Neville attempted to _actually_ clarify the greatly embellished anecdotes. Harry returned his attention to his doctor. "I've been meaning to talk about something, Carlisle," he faltered.

"Go on," Carlisle nodded once.

"It's about your move."

"Hmm."

"Are you… I mean, do you… Are you moving because I asked you to?"

Carlisle tilted his head, not quite understanding where Harry was going with this.

Harry cleared his throat to push his nervousness away. "You had a life in Forks, you see," he said. "A-and I don't want to be the reason you-"

"Nonsense, Harry."

He trailed off and blushed.

Carlisle smiled in confusion. "Have you been worrying about this?"

"Um… No?"

"Please, don't," he assured the young wizard. "A move is hardly an occasion to worry about. We're vampires. We cannot possibly stay in one place for a long time. And I am incredibly happy that you wanted us to move with you. You may not realize what kind of an impact you have on us, but I've noticed. You're family, aren't you?"

Harry didn't know how to respond to that. Before he could say anything, however, Teddy came skipping over and tugged at his hand. "Even _more_ people want to talk to you," the boy cheered. Carlisle waved Harry off. That's how he found himself in the middle of the Auror team for the second time. "What now?" he asked in fake exasperation.

"Just wondering when you're coming back," Olive cheekily hummed.

Teddy answered for Harry. "When he's _all_ better, he'll become an Auror." He looked up at his godfather. "Right?" He was hopeful.

"Man, you guys won't give me a second to catch a breath, will you?" Harry drawled. "I haven't done magic in years. I might be a bit rusty."

Landon thumped his back. "That's what we're here for."

"Yup," Marty agreed wholeheartedly. "Robards won't say it, but he's itching to train you. I mean, wandless magic? That's _huge_."

"I'll sleep on it," Harry brushed them off. "I'm a pretty big deal now. I might be a bit too busy for you guys." He cowered when swats rained on his head and arms. "That was a joke!"

The Aurors had never heard Harry joke before, but it wasn't _unpleasant_ by any means. They were simply glad to see him alive and well. They would be even gladder when he could start working with them again. He had certainly been one of the most hardworking trainees at camp. In light of his newfound magic, he could be one of the most powerful Aurors as well.

The celebrations went on late into the night. By the time the Cullens and Harry reached back home, it was well past midnight. "That was fun, huh?" he said.

"Sure was," Emmett agreed. "You have some _strange_ friends."

"You're just as strange as them."

"Ah, can't argue with that."

By the time Harry had cleaned up for bed and drank his potions, he was tired and ready to pass out at a moment's notice. Unfortunately for him, Edward poked his head in just as he had gotten under the sheets. "What?" Harry yawned.

"You aren't sick of me anymore, are you?" Edward wanted to make sure.

He harrumphed. "Stop embarrassing yourself."

"Hardly." Edward slipped into the room quietly and closed the door behind him. Harry moved to one side of the bed with a show of reluctance. Once situated against the pillow, the vampire faced Harry and waited for him to speak.

Harry remained on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He had had a wonderful day. "Do you think it's strange?" he mumbled.

"Always."

"Hmm." He draped an arm over his eyes. "I don't ever want to you to feel that way again."

"I know."

"It's not healthy."

"I know…"

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's live together."

Edward smiled. "I'd love to," he accepted. "Thank you."

Harry rolled over onto his side and pressed up against the cold vampire. The lights in the room flicked off on its own. Edward rested his chin on the crown of Harry's head. To sleep like this with Harry was something he had never dared to dream over the past year. Heat radiated onto him, warming him to the core. Maybe forever was possible now. He tilted his head down to press a soft kiss onto Harry's hair. "I love you," he murmured.

"Sleep."

Every night. For the rest of his life. Edward sank into the mattress. The past year was just a dream. A nightmare. He had woken up now. He could sleep near Harry again. He couldn't wait.

"I still get my own room."

He laughed happily.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks, matakria ^_^/


	41. Chapter 41

_Some years later..._

His phone buzzed once atop his notepad. He discreetly turned it around so he could read the screen.

'URGENT! CALL ME!'

He flipped the phone over and sat back against his chair, pressing his tented fingers against his lips as he listened to the stout man in the sweaty grey suit who happened to love his pointer a little too much. The room had gotten stuffy over the course of the hour. He wanted to ask the presenter to take his coat off, but he figured that wasn't exactly appropriate considering he hardly knew the man.

"Excuse me," he interjected the man's droning. A dozen pairs of eyes swiveled towards him. He gestured at the windows vaguely and asked, "Mind if I open one?" He received a few nonsensical answers that he took to be 'go ahead'. He nodded at the presenter to continue before getting up off the chair and undoing the latch on one of the windows. An inviting breeze flowed in, instantly cooling him. He smiled in satisfaction as he returned to his seat.

His phone buzzed again. He stifled a sigh as he glanced at the message.

'ASAP! EMERGENCY!'

He turned it off.

A few minutes later, the presenter finished up and pulled out a handkerchief to dab at his forehead and under his nose. There was some mild chatter as the rest of the conference members shuffled through their notes to make sure they were on the same page. The cool breeze helped wake everyone up. Budget meetings were always the bane of everyone's existence, except maybe the accountants'.

"So, Mr. Potter, you see our dilemma?"

The room quieted down and everyone turned to look at Harry once again.

He didn't meet their gazes because he was reading the proposals in the package before him. "In essence," he murmured, "you can't give me what I'm asking for, hmm?"

"In essence, yes."

He couldn't be sure why this whole elaborate meeting was necessary if that was the verdict. There were never enough funds to pass around. "Hard to argue with this," he figured, finally looking up at the board members. "I was never any good at maths." He earned a few chuckles. "I'm just going to keep trying until you cave in," he added as he shuffled papers together into a neat pile and started getting up. "I'll be back next quarter."

"Looking forward to it."

Once he was in the elevators, he slumped against the wall glumly and loosened his tie. What a disappointment. Fourth time in a row. He fished his phone out of his pocket and turned it on. Messages flooded in with fierce vengeance. "Ah," he yelped as soon as it started buzzing like mad. He fumbled with it in fright and didn't waste a second switching it off again. "Sheesh…"

"Rough day, huh?" the elevator operator remarked conversationally.

He scoffed once. A moment later he was on the second floor. He nodded at the operator once on his way out. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was buzzing, as it always was on weekdays. He bee-lined it past the cubicles to the back where the break room stood.

His team looked up in unison when he entered. They tilted their heads as one, expectantly waiting for good news.

He shook his head.

A collective sound of disappointment echoed through the room. Some of the staffers outside took notice, looking at each other in puzzlement before hesitantly getting on with their day.

"I'm sorry, guys," he apologized. He pressed a hand to his heart. "I had to sit through an entire budget meeting. I probably feel the _worst_ out of all of you." He walked over to the stained table and dropped the folder on it. His team was all up on the papers as soon as he had stepped away. "Listening to Malone is _one_ thing," he continued as he took off his suit jacket and tossed it on a chair. "But watching him break a sweat talking about numbers is enough to get me thinking about a cold shower." He opened up the communal fridge to find a cold beverage. "Tell you what," he added after fishing out a bottle of water. "I'll cover the cost."

"Oh, come on, Harry," his team rebuked as one. They talked over each other, all of them saying 'no way' in one form or another while Harry chugged the water, never minding the rivulets running out either side of his pursed lips. "You squandering away your salary is not what we have in mind," Marty made clear.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Do you guys honestly think I'm strapped for cash?" he asked playfully. "Don't worry about it. I think all of you deserve a new locker room. We've had a great year, right?"

"You know the Minister won't let you do that," Olive quipped.

Harry laughed as he pushed off the counter and made his way out the door. "I'm counting on that fact." He made his way to his private office, acknowledging a few notes that had managed to follow him. The flying parchment knocked against the back of his head until he had snatched at them in exasperation and scowled at no one in particular. Just as he was about to step through the door, his assistant called out to him over the bustle. He turned to quirk his brows at her.

"Teddy firecalled," she managed to tell him despite holding a quill between her teeth and frantically sorting through a growing pile of forms on her desk. "He should be calling back any second now."

"Oh, thanks." He always looked forward to his godson's calls. He closed the door behind him and was finally able to catch his breath. He drank the rest of the water before tossing the bottle into the trash bin and flicking his wand upwards to the ceiling so cold air could circulate through the room. He undid his cuffs, rolling them up haphazardly as he strolled over to his messy desk and quickly examined his schedule after dropping the new notes on top of all the old notes.

The fireplace suddenly crackled, catching his attention.

"Harry! Come here! Come here!"

He obliged, quickly striding towards the blue flames and kneeling down to look at Teddy's face that was flickering in the fire. "What's up?" he asked.

"I MADE IT!"

He gasped. "You did?"

"Look!" Teddy held up his new Quidditch gear. "Isn't that _so_ exciting?"

"I bet you were the best out on the field today, huh?"

The boy had the sense to appear modest. "Oh, I don't know." He grinned abashedly.

"I don't doubt it," Harry said with pride. "I knew you'd make it. It was only a matter of time."

"I got _so_ many points! You should have seen me! I wish you had seen me…"

They chatted for a few minutes, but Teddy had to leave for a study session that he didn't think much of. He reluctantly said his goodbyes and showed his Quidditch stuff one last time before extinguishing the call. After that bit of a break, Harry felt invigorated. He enjoyed sharing Teddy's success, no matter what it was. The two of them were quite alike. It was hard not to feel happy when something awesome happened to one of them.

"You're so impulsive," Hermione tsked over lunch. She sat across from her best friend at a small table in the large cafeteria downstairs. "I'm just glad you keep your promises."

"They're a good team," Harry said. "The least I could do is make them feel appreciated. It's just a locker room."

"I doubt appreciating them means buying them things."

"Ah, what do you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "What do I know?" she echoed under her breath. "Anyway, enough with _your_ drama for the day. Malfoy's driving me _mad_!"

Harry sighed. "What did he do this time?" he asked even though he didn't really want to know.

"He comes in _fifteen minutes late_ and didn't even apologize for holding the morning meeting up."

"Oh no." Harry faked concern. "Fifteen whole minutes? Whatever did you do for fifteen whole minutes? Such a travesty."

Hermione huffed. "This is why I never tell you anything."

He laughed and held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. Keep going. I love to hear the nitty gritty about Malfoy, you know that." He liked to egg her on. These occasional afternoon rendezvous did them both some good. As bosses, they could only vent to each other since their coworkers were all working under them. Their get-togethers were usually full of gossip and grievances.

He managed to squeeze in two more meetings, an interrogation, and three charge sheets before he was burned out for the day. By the time he was done signing off on the last bit of paperwork that had been on his to-do list, it was past six. The second floor was quiet as most of the day workers had left. The night crew wasn't nearly as loud. He acknowledged them with a wave on his way out. "Try not to wreck the place," he said as he always did before he went home. The Aurors and Hit wizards booed him away.

It was dark when he got to 12 Grimmauld Place. He opened the door and was pleasantly surprised. The house smelled like heavenly food. He hurried to take off his shoes and discarded his jacket on the stair before investigating the source of the scent. It was always nice to come home to dinner. It didn't happen often enough for his liking.

"Oh really?"

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin and whipped around. Before he could say a word, he was bent backwards and kissed fondly. He laughed, winding his arms around Edward's neck. He liked coming home to a kiss too. That _did_ happen often enough for his liking.

"How was work?"

"Alright." He nuzzled against his vampire. "You made spaghetti?"

"I don't know if it's any good."

"You _never_ know if it's any good."

In less than an hour, Harry made short work of the pasta and tomato sauce. He sat on the countertop with his plate on his lap, a glass of wine by his side, and Edward listening to him yak on about how completely unfair it was that his Auror team couldn't get a new locker room because of budget restraints. "I mean, it's not like I'm asking for new brooms," he continued to rant despite having a mouthful of spaghetti that he was spraying all over. "It's just a room to _change_ in. The linoleum's peeling off, the walls have been needing paint for _ages_, and the lockers hardly every lock."

Edward hid his amusement well. "So?"

Now Harry quieted down and looked down at his plate, only to discover that it was empty. He reached for his wine, realizing just as he brought the glass to his lips that it was empty as well. He finally exhaled loudly. "Iofferedtopayforit," he said in one go.

Edward wasn't sure why he was so surprised to hear that. "Mhm."

"I'll use my own money," he went on to say. "Don't worry, okay? It won't cost a lot. It's just that they've been waiting for a year for this and I'd hate to-"

"It's fine, Harry," Edward chuckled. He grabbed the open bottle of wine to fill up the empty wine glass. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I understand."

"Hmm." Harry held out the glass and watched Edward pour. There was silence for a bit. He took a small sip of wine, letting the sweetness sink into his tongue before swallowing. Then he suddenly shook his head and looked up to frown. "Why don't I have to explain myself to you?" he asked. "I _want_ to explain myself."

"Then explain."

He huffed. Edward was always way to tolerant. "When it comes to matters of money, we're supposed to make decisions together, right?" he pressed on.

"And I trust your judgment," Edward assured him. "You know that. I know you won't do anything that I wouldn't approve of."

He crinkled his nose in obvious irritation. "Look at me. I'm so perfect," he mocked under his breath.

Edward knew when to keep his mouth shut. He turned away to hide his amusement and started putting away some of the open containers. "Teddy called today. Did he call you?" he asked mildly.

"Oh yeah!" Harry's mood changed in the blink of an eye. "He made it onto the team! Isn't that great news?"

"He was very excited, so it does seem to be great news."

He shook his head at the unenthused vampire. There was that one thing neither of them could agree on - Quidditch... "It really is safe, I already told you that. And it's fun. Everyone does it. I mean, you've been to enough games with the Weasleys. I just wish you'd try it some time."

Edward glanced over his shoulder. "In your dreams," he said plainly.

"One day, Edward. Just you wait."

"Oh yeah?" He turned to face the wizard who was looking a little sly. "Are you going to make me?" He stepped forward, took the glass out of Harry's hand and leaned in.

Harry didn't give in until he was pressed against the cupboards and had nowhere else to run. "Sure, I could make you," he said with deliberate nonchalance. He set his plate aside and braced himself with his hands on the counter. "But where's the fun in that?"

"I see."

"Do you?"

Their lips melded together with practiced ease, cutting off the rest of their dwindling banter. They kissed lazily, letting the tempo build up on its own without hurry. They had the whole evening to themselves. Edward ran his fingers down the front of the Auror's button-down shirt. "Did I tell you that you look really good today?" he whispered.

Harry allowed himself an imperceptible nod. "You might have." He wrapped his legs around Edward's waist. "You can tell me again. I don't mind." He was scooped up without warning. The kiss grew fuller as he was carried out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. He caressed the marble face pressed so close to him while letting his tongue linger against the cold.

"My room or yours?" Edward was heavy on his words.

"I didn't make my bed."

"Yours it is."

Harry chuckled and squirmed when a slow breath tickled his neck. "It's always my room."

"Is it?" Edward feigned ignorance as he weaved into Harry's bedroom. They sank into bed, breathless laughter and quiet murmurs scattered between kisses. It didn't matter that the lights were off. Harry let Edward unbutton his shirt for him, especially because each inch of skin was worshipped as it was exposed. He was lost in a haze of lust once lips skimmed across his waist. He was aroused from the alcohol and smooth touches. Edward felt like groaning too as he let Harry's thoughts take him over. He slid over top of his lover and rocked his hips.

"I have work tomorrow," Harry managed to gasp out.

"I remember." He felt a thrill run through him when Harry arched up. "Good?"

"Yeah," he breathed out. Everything Edward did felt good. He allowed his body to move instinctively for gentle stimulation. "You gave me wine on purpose, didn't you?" he realized.

"You make it sound like a bad thing…"

"If you just _told_ me that you wanted to have sex, we would still be in this same situation."

"I know," Edward smirked. He started unbuttoning Harry's pants. "But then where's the fun in that?" He started working the pants and boxers off in one go when he felt a strange weight in one of the pockets. So he reached in and pulled out Harry's cell phone. "You never put your phone in your pocket," he mumbled.

Harry blinked back the fog in his mind as he tried to focus on what Edward was holding. "Huh?" He reached out without thinking, snatching the phone away. Then his eyes grew wide as he suddenly remembered. He shoved Edward off of him and scrambled to sit up while trying to turn the phone back on and pull his pants up at the same time. "Shit, shit, shit," he kept muttering. Edward sat by the pillows and watched him panic for a moment. It was always fun to see that. He finally managed to get his boxers on, forgoing his pants because they were too cumbersome, and punched a few numbers into the phone before sticking it against his ear.

Edward cringed when he heard loud screaming on the other end.

Harry nearly dropped the phone while jumping to his feet. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," he tried to say over the melodramatic shrieks. "I'm sorry. I-I was at work, Ash. You know that! I-I don't have reception-" He winced and yanked the phone away from his ear to give it some reprieve. He flicked his eyes at Edward for much needed help, but Edward responded with a careless shrug. Harry scowled furiously at him, making a few obscene gestures before turning away and beginning to pace along the length of his room. "I really am sorry," he said for the umpteenth time. "Tell me what's happened. I'll listen. I swear. I always listen, don't I? Please, stop yelling at me? Please?"

He was immensely glad when the screaming on the other side died down to quiet muttering. "That's better," he said encouragingly. "Now tell me what the matter is. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's _wrong_, you blockhead. Bella's gotten engaged and Angelica got into med school."

He sagged in defeat. "That's all?"

That was the wrong thing to say.

He actually did drop the phone when Ashley started yelling at him again. Edward laughed aloud while he watched the young man go through the whole apology routine a second time. Thankfully, it wasn't long before Ashley was led away from the phone on her end and a very calm, "Hello?" sounded.

Music to Harry's abused ears… "Hey?" he tried.

"Sorry about that," Angelica told him. "She's had a little too much to drink. You know how she gets."

"Congratulations on the admission."

"Why, thank you."

"Long awaited, huh?"

"You have _no_ idea, Harry."

"You guys having a party without me?"

She giggled. "You're always here in spirit," she joked.

"Yeah, yeah," Harry drawled. "You're just glad you don't have to share the booze with me."

"Oh, that's _hardly_ our worries," she assured him. "Jake's friends are over. You have no idea how much they drink. It's like they never get drunk. Awful. Mike's going to go broke if this keeps going."

Harry looked over his shoulder at Edward, asking him in mime whether he wanted to speak with her. He shook his head, but Harry seemed to take that as a yes. "Hey, Ang? I'm putting you on speaker, okay? Edward's here too." He then held the phone away from his ear and pressed a button.

"Hey, Edward," Angelica said loudly. "Did you hear the news?"

"Ashley was a bit excited, so hard not to hear," Edward answered her. "Congratulations, Angelica. Your parents must be very proud."

"Aw, shucks. Thank you."

Harry then interjected. "Is Bella around?"

There was a lot of fumbling and shuffling on the other end before a flustered Bella answered. "Hello? Harry?"

"And Edward," he added.

"Did you hear?"

"We sure did. Congrats."

Bella laughed. "Thanks. Wish you guys were here. It's… um… a little rowdy over here. Jake's friends and all."

That wasn't difficult to believe. If the shapeshifters were celebrating, then there was a guarantee of loud ruckus. "Isn't it morning over there?" Harry asked suspiciously.

She simply laughed again. Then there were more disturbances before a loud voice yelled, "HARRY!"

"Oh no. Who let you drink?" Harry tsked.

Seth sputtered. "I'm a grown man. And never mind that. When are you coming over? There's gonna be a wedding!"

"Let me know the date. I'll be there, alright?"

"How's Teddy? He's in school, huh?"

"He's doing _very_ well. Thank you for asking."

Mismatched conversation continued for nearly an hour. By the end of it, Harry and Edward had figured out how Jacob had proposed and what Ashley was thinking of buying as her bridesmaid dress. Thankfully Eric and Angelica seemed to be handling the celebration by moderating the 'festive drinking'. Once everyone had said their goodbyes, Harry was thoroughly exhausted. He tossed his phone on the bedside table and flopped down onto the bed. "Wow," he sighed. "Crazy. Everyone's growing up."

Edward moved up and hovered over Harry, looking down at his upside down face. "While we stay the same?" he finished.

"Yeah."

"But that's okay?" He brushed his thumb against Harry's jaw.

Harry turned his head to one side and kissed Edward's palm. "Ashley must have texted me at least twenty times today." He appeared sheepish. "I turned off my phone. You know how she exaggerates, right? She said it was an emergency. I know her too well."

"She was thrilled for her friends, that's all."

"I always knew Bella and Jacob were going to get married. And of course Angelica would make it to med school. She's so smart, isn't she? Like Hermione at times. It's not a big deal at all."

Edward slid the tip of his nose against Harry's. "Not a big deal?" he repeated. "Getting married isn't a big deal?"

"Of course not. People do it all the time. Why? Do you want to get married?"

"Someday, yes…"

Harry's brows bunched up suddenly. "What?" he snapped. "To who?"

Edward paused, then cocked his head. "What sort of a question is that?" he mumbled. Harry turned bright red and he snapped his mouth shut a few words too late. Realization dawned on Edward, making his eyes widen in amazement. "Seriously?"

"B-but I didn't know you-I mean you didn't say-That's not what I-You're taking words and-Look, I was just confused because-You and I never really…" He trailed off into nonsense and squeezed his eyes shut. "Please stop laughing at me."

Edward was trying. He really was. But why Harry thought these things was beyond him and he found the prospect hilarious. He pressed the back of his hand to his mouth in an attempt to silence himself. Never a dull moment…

"Whatever," Harry grumbled as he sidled up next to Edward. "I just blurted something out. There's nothing to laugh about."

"But you were _jealous_. You were jealous for no reason! Isn't that even a little amusing and excessive?"

"I had a long day at work and that's my excuse."

"That's your excuse for everything. Why isn't the laundry done? I had a long day at work. Why are there dirty dishes in the sink? I had a long day at work. Why is there mud on the carpet? I had a long day at work. It's starting to lose its effectiveness, love."

"Don't call me 'love'. And it's _not_ an excuse. It's the truth, isn't it? _I_ work hard while _you_ just sit around looking pretty."

"Oh, stop right there, Potter."

"I even saved your life _twice_ and this is the thanks-"

"Why is that brought up every time you want to win-"

In a fluid motion, Harry had straddled Edward and bent over double to peer into his eyes, stopping his argument effectively. He stroked one side of the vampire's neck. "I really have had a long day at work," he murmured. "Be nice." He planted a chaste kiss on Edward's lips before moving down and chaining more kisses together. One of his hands crept up the vampire's shirt, sculpting his lean body. "Hermione says it isn't healthy, you know?"

Edward reached out to grip Harry by the waist and rolled him over onto his back, switching positions with him. "What isn't healthy?" he wanted to know while pulling his shirt off. "You being with me?"

"No," Harry answered as he appreciated the flawless body atop him. "Us not worrying about the future and all that."

Edward rocked forward and pressed his forehead against Harry's. "You worry all the time," he whispered. "Didn't you tell her that?"

"Maybe I'm not worrying enough," Harry figured.

"And maybe worrying will only make you lose sleep."

"Still sucks that I _need_ sleep, right? I can't die, but I still need sleep. Shitty deal."

Edward loved the way their conversations could always move from somber topics to wisecracks so fluidly. He pressed a fleeting kiss on Harry's lips. "Enough talk."

"You just read my mind, Edward Cullen…"

**Fin**

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for coming along on this awesome journey with me! Thanks for sticking with me, following this story, and reviewing it! It means a lot to me to hear encouragement. I've had a fun few months with this. And if you need some follow-ups on this story, don't shy away from using your imagination! As always, I give permission to anyone who wants to use this story or premise or even the exact same plot with better dialogue (because we all know dialogue is something I am not all that great at, heh heh). If you have any questions regarding this story, please PM me! More fan fictions to come!


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